Four Corners exposes national disgrace of youth “tortured” in detention
Updated: PM Turnbull announces a Royal Commission following Guantanamo Bay-like abuse in NT youth detention. Warning: Disturbing images.
- Published by David Knox
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Four Corners has attracted national headlines after screening shocking footage of teenage boys being mistreated in a Northern Territory Youth Detention Centre.
Shocking video showing a 17-year-old boy, Dylan Voller, being strapped into a mechanical restraint chair at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in Darwin in August 2014.
The footage also shows the teenager being thrown across his cell, kneed and knocked to the ground, repeatedly stripped naked and kept in solitary confinement.
He is ordered by guards to walk backwards, hunched over, into an isolation cell before asking the guards why his mattress was taken away, telling them he has been treated like a dog.
ABC reporter Caro Meldrum-Hanna also revealed the tear-gassing of six boys being held in isolation at the Darwin youth detention centre, which includes Indigenous teens.
Human Rights Lawyer Ruth Barson said the isolation of the children was a clear violation of the United Nations Convention against Torture.
“The UN’s expert on torture has said there are no circumstances that justify young people being held in solitary confinement, let alone prolonged solitary confinement,” Ms Barson told Four Corners.
“I think the NT and in particular Don Dale has a long way to go to ensure their practices are compliant with Australia’s obligation on the convention against torture and against the right of the child.”
Barrister John Lawrence told Four Corners, “We’re talking about kids that are being shackled with handcuffs on their ankles, their wrists, their waist areas. They’re being shackled to chairs.
“One of them has had the experience of sitting in one for just under two hours with a spit hood over his head, a la Guantanamo Bay.”
Following the footage on ABC last night, social media lit up with disturbing reactions from viewers.
A Change.org petition calling for a Royal Commission was close to 3,000 signatures just hours after the broadcast.
@mrbenjaminlaw #4Corners petition for all those contacting https://t.co/DL6qChzPhk
— Caro Meldrum-Hanna (@caromeldrum) July 25, 2016
Re #4Corners. What sort of animals do that to children? What sort of govt. condones it? And what sort of country are we if we don't act NOW?
— Rohan Connolly (@rohan_connolly) July 25, 2016
I'm embarrassed that Australians could treat children like that. Malcolm Turnbull must act first thing tomorrow. #4Corners
— Oliver Peterson (@oliverpeterson) July 25, 2016
Certain politicians have said close the boarders because they are leaving in fear. Well I hope they watched #4Corners. 😡😡😡
— Leila Gurruwiwi (@alielmg88) July 25, 2016
"No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" – UN child rights convention #4Corners
— UNICEF Australia (@unicefaustralia) July 25, 2016
Unbearable. Inhumane . Stop it now #4Corners @TurnbullMalcolm
— Wendy Harmer (@wendy_harmer) July 25, 2016
It’s like they’ve never seen the shots from Abu Ghraib. #4corners
Or like they’ve decided to replicate them.— Mark Colvin (@Colvinius) July 25, 2016
What's heartbreaking is these boys—when interviewed by @caromeldrum—are articulate, gentle kids. Horribly easy to break a person. #4Corners
— Benjamin Law | ç¾…æ—能 (@mrbenjaminlaw) July 25, 2016
I think it is time we faced up to it Australia, we have major, major problems with racism, cruelty and violence – by authorities #4Corners
— Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) July 25, 2016
Excruciating viewing
Young
CHILDREN
tortured (!!)
in our country#4Corners— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) July 25, 2016
This story is beyond excruciating. #4Corners
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) July 25, 2016
UPDATED: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced he will establish a royal commission into Northern Territory juvenile detention after revelations raised on ABC’s Four Corner’s program.
The announcement comes after the NT Chief Minister Adam Giles issued a statement stating he was “shocked and disgusted” and also called for a royal commission.
This morning Mr Turnbull said the royal commission would be held in conjunction with the Northern Territory Government.
“This is a shocking state of affairs and we will move quickly to establish what happened, as Gillian Triggs said last night, this needs a thorough inquiry,” he said.
Source: ABC
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6 Responses
This was so hard to watch. To think this is Australia. Shameful.
This is terrible on 2 fronts….1. Appalling treatment of fellow humans…….2. I don’t expect any Aussie pollie to call out any other country on human rights until our own are put right.
This sort of behaviour is systemic and I don’t expect any party to claim some sort of higher moral ground. Instead they must work together to eradicate it from Australia
Absolutely sickening and horrific.
Yes, despicable that this incredibly cruel treatment of the young detainees has been allowed to continue for such a long time.
Those poor young kids, many of whom were no doubt troubled before they went in, are now likely irretrievably psychologically damaged for life.
Would not blame them for hating everything and everyone.
And don’t think for a moment that this sort of treatment, and worse, isn’t being inflicted on adult prisoners as well. They are there to be punished, but not mistreated, no matter what they have done.
It’s pretty disturbing to know that this sort of thing occurs regularly within our juvenile justice system.
It’s more disturbing when you see the extent of this abhorrent behaviour on video.
Most disturbing of all is that people have complained to authorities in NT for years about this but it has taken, yet again, an exposé by 4 Corners to be broadcast before anyone does anything to fix it up instead of cover it up.
The PM has just announced there will be a Royal Commission. Once again 4 Corners has to expose issues before anything is done, despite complaints to “authorities” over years.