Kenyan student Sheila Chebii fell 15 floors to her death while working at a Sydney hotel. Her family want answers (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 days ago by zero_gravitas@aussie.zone to c/news@aussie.zone

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[-] Nath@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago

I mean - what coverage do we want as a society on this? The headline tells just about everything we know. This sentence is carrying all that anyone has: "NSW police said a report would be presented to the state coroner to determine if an inquest into Chebii’s death will be held. A spokesperson for SafeWork NSW confirmed it was “making inquiries” into the matter."

It'd be wall-to-wall if we knew she was murdered. It'd get nothing if we knew she killed herself. It'd get a minor article and the hotel would face charges if we knew a railing failed or something.

But we have nothing in this case. It's weird that she fell to her death, and a bit suspicious. But I don't actually know what coverage I would demand in this situation.

"The Family want answers" is probably about the only angle they can go with.

[-] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

But I don’t actually know what coverage I would demand in this situation.

I think what the Guardian has now published is about what I'd expect, but, as was covered in the video in the previous post I linked to, no Australian outlet had published anything at all about it. This is the first mention in the Australian press, a month later.

That's despite the suspiciousness, questions from the family, coverage in Kenyan and diaspora media, the matter being raised in the Kenyan Parliament, and a community protest march in Sydney (more than two weeks ago now).

[-] Cypher@aussie.zone 1 points 2 days ago

If no one knows the cause of her death then what was the protest about?

[-] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 1 points 2 days ago

From the Guardian article that this post links to:

Weeks after Chebii’s death, members of the Kenyan diaspora staged a protest outside the hotel where she died, calling for answers and transparency about what had occurred.

...

“The circumstances surrounding her death, together with the time it has taken to receive substantive updates from the relevant authorities, have left many community members with questions and concerns.”

From an article linked in the body of the previous post:

The march, which proceeded to Meriton, was described by organizers as peaceful, respectful, and well coordinated. Community members turned out in solidarity with Chebii's family, calling for transparency and answers regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.