UN Communication lodged by Shani Cassidy

Tyler Cassidy was 15 years old when he was shot by members of Victoria Police in December 2008. Only 73 seconds elapsed between the police first approaching Tyler and him being shot dead, during which time he was sprayed with capsicum foam twice and answered a phone call. Ten shots were fired, five of which hit Tyler.

In May 2013 Shani Cassidy submitted a communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of her son, Tyler.

The communication prepared for Ms Cassidy by the Human Rights Law Centre with the generous pro bono assistance of leading law firm Allens, outlines the case for the Committee to find that Australia is in breach of its obligation to uphold the right to life by failing to introduce independent investigations into deaths resulting from the use of force by police.

A copy of the Communication can be found here.