A man has been charged with the murder and sexual assault of Kumanjayi Little Baby, whose disappearance from an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs triggered riots and a nationwide wave of grief.

Girl found dead after going missing from Alice Springs camp

Kumanjayi Little Baby, aged five, was found dead in the Outback after going missing from an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs, police said. Officers had initially treated her disappearance as an abduction and were searching for a man recently released from prison in connection with her case.

Authorities said they believed the child had been murdered before her body was located.

Arrest, charges, and unrest

A man was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and sexual assault. His arrest did not bring calm to Alice Springs. Violence broke out in the central Australian town, with unrest concentrated outside the hospital where the suspect was being treated. Australian authorities appealed for calm as the disorder continued.

Nationwide vigils

Communities across Australia announced vigils in the days following the discovery of Kumanjayi's body. The gatherings reflect the scale of public grief over the child's death and the circumstances in which she disappeared.