'Racist' cartoon draws praise and criticism in Australia

Australian cartoonist Bill Leak defends his controversial drawing

An acclaimed Australian cartoonist has defended a "racist" caricature after drawing national criticism.

Bill Leak's drawing shows an Aboriginal boy being returned by a police officer to an alcohol-swilling father who cannot remember his son's name.

Bill Leak's follow-up cartoon depicts himself being handed over to an angry social media user by police

The Australian newspaper defended publishing the cartoon as it faced accusations of fuelling race tensions.

Leak is one of Australia's best-known cartoonists and often courts controversy

It comes amid debate about the high incarceration rates of Indigenous youth and a juvenile justice system scandal.

'No apology'

In an editorial, The Australian newspaper defended the illustration and pointed to the substantial resources it dedicates to covering Indigenous affairs.

"The cartoon points to broken families, the self-perpetuating cause of so much Indigenous misery," it said.
"One great obstacle to improvement is the progressive tendency to look away from awkward truths: to prefer their moral vanity over better outcomes for others; and to expend energy on policing 'incorrect' commentary rather than championing needed reforms."

A recent news report showed juvenile detainees in Australia's far north being stripped, sprayed with tear gas and, in one case, cuffed to a chair while forced to wear a hood.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promised an investigation, saying he was "shocked and appalled" by the footage.