A man in his 20s has been charged with murder following the death of a teenage girl he was thought to have been in a relationship with.
On Monday, police were called to the remote Alpurrurulam community in the Northern Territory following the death of a 16-year-old girl.
About 5.30am on Monday, the community’s local clinic reported that one of its patients had died as a result of an alleged physical assault.
Police attended and a 26-year-old man was arrested.
He has since been charged with the girl’s murder.
“The Northern Territory Police Force has now charged a man with murder in relation to the death of a 16-year-old girl in Alpurrurulam,” a police statement reads.
“The 26-year-old man, believed to be in a domestic relationship with the girl, was arrested on October 12 and transferred to Darwin.
“He was charged late last night with one count of murder and was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.”
The incident sparked calls for greater support to be offered in remote communities, with local MP Chansey Paech urging the Territory government to act.
Mr Paech said he was “deeply saddened” by the reports, adding that the remote community, which is close to the Queensland border, had recently been seeking extra resources from the government.
“My thoughts are with the family, loved ones and entirely community at this difficult time,” he said.
“Remote communities deserve the same level of attention, resources and support as anywhere else in the Territory.”