AAP

A Melbourne pensioner has paid more than $3000 in fines for an Indigenous mother in Western Australia who was jailed for non-payment after calling police during a family violence incident.

Peter Clark, 69, said he felt “white-hot fury” after reading about the Noongar woman’s story online.

The former architect and academic worked with Indigenous communities across the country throughout his career and says the woman’s story is a prime example of institutionalised racism in Australia.

The mother-of-five had called police for help during a family violence incident when they instead ran a background check on her, the Guardian Australia reported.

Upon finding she had an outstanding 2012 warrant for $3900 in unpaid fines, which were in relation to an unregistered dog, they reportedly arrested her because she could not afford to pay them.

Mr Clark believes these practices are going on in remote communities all the time at horrifying rates and this incident would have never happened to a white woman.

IMAGE(Flickr_Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería)