Indigenous woman alleges she was subject to torture and inhuman treatment in ACT prison

The territory government has kept handheld camera footage of the incident secret, rejecting an earlier request from the Guardian for its release through freedom of information laws and arguing for its suppression in earlier court hearings.

A guard noticed her put something down her pants and assumed, wrongly, it was a weapon or other contraband. Williams was, in fact, menstruating and had placed sanitary tissues down her pants.

She had a pacemaker for a heart condition and a collapsed lung, according to court documents. Prison authorities allegedly knew about her medical conditions, but did not bring a nurse or doctor with them.

The ACT supreme court has also previously suppressed the footage after it was tendered during a bail application made by Williams.