'Third world conditions' in packed Top End watch houses
Legal advocates say an overcrowding crisis in Northern Territory prisons and watch houses is prompting constant lockdowns and making it unsafe for detainees denied basic human rights and forced to accept "third world conditions".
It's claimed Aboriginal children as young as 11 have been held at Palmerston Watch House, south of Darwin, and that cells there have at times been jammed with up to 17 people, with frequent cases of self harm occurring.
Detainees report having to use toilets in front of others, make do with limited sanitary products, sleep under bloodied blankets and go without medication for epilepsy and other conditions.
The NT police union is concerned watch house conditions are making it dangerous for both officers and detainees.
Territory barrister Lyma Nguyen says the "appalling" situation reflects a justice system that appears to be breaking down.
The Country Liberal Party government has been pushing through a tough-on-crime agenda, including harsher bail conditions designed to send more people to the cells to await court cases.
It is unapologetic about favouring victims over offenders and has been rolling out hundreds more beds in prisons and hiring more guards to cope with the influx.
But until prison capacity catches up, watch houses are often crammed and lockdowns are constant, largely due to lack of staff.
"I defend many people in criminal cases who are arrested and held at watch houses over weekends before they are brought to court to see a judge," Ms Nguyen tells AAP.
Some clients then find out in court on a Monday their paperwork is not ready or there are too many cases to hear that day so they are sent back to the watch house, she says.
"So people are held in custody for longer than necessary in really appalling conditions; I'm told there are often 17 people to a cell."
Ms Nguyen says one of her clients was in Palmerston Watch House for five days without an opportunity to shower or brush his teeth despite his family bringing him fresh clothes and supplies.
The circumstances are arguably worse than in some prisons in Third World countries, she says, suggesting United Nations scrutiny of the issue is needed.
Her clients who have spent time behind bars in Indonesia and elsewhere in Asia have reinforced this.
Constant lockdowns mean lawyers are often barred from seeing clients, a breach of the international right to representation, Ms Nguyen says.
"This would not happen in the bigger states, especially states that have a bill of human rights", she adds.
NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo says comments by the police association and Aboriginal justice agency make it clear Palmerston Watch House is unsafe for officers and those held there.
A request for Labor MPs to visit the facility has yet to be granted, she says.
"I understand police have changed their shifts and changed the way they look after the Palmerston Watch House so they can deal and cope with that extra pressure," Ms Uibo recently told reporters.
NT Police Association president Nathan Finn agrees the facility has reached "crisis point", putting officers, prisoners and the broader community at "unacceptable risk".
"The CLP government has made repeated promises to stop using police facilities for correctional purposes, yet the Palmerston Watch House is now overflowing," he says. "It's not a matter of if but when a serious custody incident occurs. "This government continues to beat its chest about locking up more offenders but it has utterly failed to plan for the consequences of its own policies."
Mr Finn says police are exhausted, burnt out and being called in on overtime just to maintain basic safety.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency recently highlighted the case of an 11-year-old girl held at Palmerston with "adults in surrounding cells screaming, yelling".
The agency described that as a "breach of human rights" when children taken into custody should be transferred to a youth detention centre as soon as possible under court order.
Police data recently released to the ABC under freedom of information laws show 19 cases of children self-harming over six months at watch houses in Palmerston, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Katherine.
The youngest of the teens to self-harm was 13, while there were five cases featuring 14-year-olds and all but one matter involved an Indigenous teen.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who is also police minister, stands by authorities using watch houses to process youths taken into custody.
She's told ABC Radio they employ "a lot of oversight and controls and policies and procedures" and she considers them "very safe places".
The territory's police force similarly says they are managed within a strict framework that provides guidance on the care and treatment of persons in custody.
"The primary consideration in relation to people in police custody is the safety and welfare of the individual," it says.
Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has acknowledged the pressures at Palmerston but says his department is working as quickly as possible to get more beds online.
He says the government is also easing the load on police and corrections officers by contracting private service provider G4S to take on prisoner transport and custody services.
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More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to local health authorities, while the United Nations says dozens of people have died in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages. An unprecedented throng of protesters turned the Sydney Harbour Bridge into a sea of Palestinian flags and the centrepoint of public resistance to Israel's military action in Gaza. About 90,000 turned out on a wet and windy Sunday to spotlight suffering in Gaza after a police order to prohibit the protest was rejected by a court. Organiser Palestine Action Group said it aimed to draw attention to what the United Nations has described as worsening famine conditions in Gaza. Several Labor MPs including former NSW Labor premier and former federal foreign minister Bob Carr joined the march in defiance of Premier Chris Minns alongside multiple Greens and independent colleagues. The premier previously warned the city would "descend into chaos" if the protest went ahead. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined Mr Carr at the rally with the pair seen leading the crowd and clutching a giant "Save Gaza" placard. Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster and former boxer and rugby league star Anthony Mundine added to the list of prominent attendees. Australians have been watching "an avalanche of atrocities that cannot be denied or erased", Foster told the crowd. "As a country we've said much but not acted as we must," he said. About an hour into the march and with increasing concerns for public safety, police urged protesters on the bridge to turn around "to avoid a crowd crush" and "risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part". The force permitted protesters to return southbound across the bridge to the Sydney CBD after the march was initially proposed to end in North Sydney. By 5pm, bridge lanes had reopened in both directions. NSW Police Acting Commissioner Peter McKenna estimated attendance at about 90,000 people and described the crowd as the largest he had seen in Sydney. "We were really overwhelmed with numbers," he told reporters on Sunday evening, noting attendees were well behaved and thanking them for complying with police orders. Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson described the situation as "perilous" and worried police were going to have a "major incident with potential loss of life". "I can honestly say in my 35 years of policing, that was a perilous situation ... I've never seen a more perilous situation," he said. Rally speaker and independent Jewish journalist and author Antony Loewenstein said he saw "no evidence" the huge number of people who attended were in any physical danger due to the crowd's size. "Police are trying to create a fiction around an event they maybe weren't prepared for," he said. Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley questioned the shutting down of a "critical piece of infrastructure" in Sydney. "I respect the right of free speech and protest, but this is taking it to another level ... the protest could happen elsewhere," Ms Ley told Sky News. Labor backbencher Ed Husic, who has been more outspoken on ending the war in Gaza, emphasised unity. First time protesters and friends Ian Robertson, 74, and Greg Mullins, 66, said they hoped their attendance could make a difference. "The world's gone mad," Mr Mullins told AAP. "I came today because I don't want my kids telling me what were you doing when this mass murder and genocide was going on," Mr Robertson said. About 25,000 protesters also marched through Melbourne to block a major CBD thoroughfare but were stopped by a wall of riot police at the entrance to the King Street Bridge. Many in the crowd banged pots and pans in a nod to mounting concerns about mass starvation in Gaza. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to local health authorities, while the United Nations says dozens of people have died in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages. An unprecedented throng of protesters turned the Sydney Harbour Bridge into a sea of Palestinian flags and the centrepoint of public resistance to Israel's military action in Gaza. About 90,000 turned out on a wet and windy Sunday to spotlight suffering in Gaza after a police order to prohibit the protest was rejected by a court. Organiser Palestine Action Group said it aimed to draw attention to what the United Nations has described as worsening famine conditions in Gaza. Several Labor MPs including former NSW Labor premier and former federal foreign minister Bob Carr joined the march in defiance of Premier Chris Minns alongside multiple Greens and independent colleagues. The premier previously warned the city would "descend into chaos" if the protest went ahead. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined Mr Carr at the rally with the pair seen leading the crowd and clutching a giant "Save Gaza" placard. Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster and former boxer and rugby league star Anthony Mundine added to the list of prominent attendees. Australians have been watching "an avalanche of atrocities that cannot be denied or erased", Foster told the crowd. "As a country we've said much but not acted as we must," he said. About an hour into the march and with increasing concerns for public safety, police urged protesters on the bridge to turn around "to avoid a crowd crush" and "risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part". The force permitted protesters to return southbound across the bridge to the Sydney CBD after the march was initially proposed to end in North Sydney. By 5pm, bridge lanes had reopened in both directions. NSW Police Acting Commissioner Peter McKenna estimated attendance at about 90,000 people and described the crowd as the largest he had seen in Sydney. "We were really overwhelmed with numbers," he told reporters on Sunday evening, noting attendees were well behaved and thanking them for complying with police orders. Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson described the situation as "perilous" and worried police were going to have a "major incident with potential loss of life". "I can honestly say in my 35 years of policing, that was a perilous situation ... I've never seen a more perilous situation," he said. Rally speaker and independent Jewish journalist and author Antony Loewenstein said he saw "no evidence" the huge number of people who attended were in any physical danger due to the crowd's size. "Police are trying to create a fiction around an event they maybe weren't prepared for," he said. Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley questioned the shutting down of a "critical piece of infrastructure" in Sydney. "I respect the right of free speech and protest, but this is taking it to another level ... the protest could happen elsewhere," Ms Ley told Sky News. Labor backbencher Ed Husic, who has been more outspoken on ending the war in Gaza, emphasised unity. First time protesters and friends Ian Robertson, 74, and Greg Mullins, 66, said they hoped their attendance could make a difference. "The world's gone mad," Mr Mullins told AAP. "I came today because I don't want my kids telling me what were you doing when this mass murder and genocide was going on," Mr Robertson said. About 25,000 protesters also marched through Melbourne to block a major CBD thoroughfare but were stopped by a wall of riot police at the entrance to the King Street Bridge. Many in the crowd banged pots and pans in a nod to mounting concerns about mass starvation in Gaza. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to local health authorities, while the United Nations says dozens of people have died in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages. An unprecedented throng of protesters turned the Sydney Harbour Bridge into a sea of Palestinian flags and the centrepoint of public resistance to Israel's military action in Gaza. About 90,000 turned out on a wet and windy Sunday to spotlight suffering in Gaza after a police order to prohibit the protest was rejected by a court. Organiser Palestine Action Group said it aimed to draw attention to what the United Nations has described as worsening famine conditions in Gaza. Several Labor MPs including former NSW Labor premier and former federal foreign minister Bob Carr joined the march in defiance of Premier Chris Minns alongside multiple Greens and independent colleagues. The premier previously warned the city would "descend into chaos" if the protest went ahead. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined Mr Carr at the rally with the pair seen leading the crowd and clutching a giant "Save Gaza" placard. Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster and former boxer and rugby league star Anthony Mundine added to the list of prominent attendees. Australians have been watching "an avalanche of atrocities that cannot be denied or erased", Foster told the crowd. "As a country we've said much but not acted as we must," he said. About an hour into the march and with increasing concerns for public safety, police urged protesters on the bridge to turn around "to avoid a crowd crush" and "risk of injury due to the huge number of people taking part". The force permitted protesters to return southbound across the bridge to the Sydney CBD after the march was initially proposed to end in North Sydney. By 5pm, bridge lanes had reopened in both directions. NSW Police Acting Commissioner Peter McKenna estimated attendance at about 90,000 people and described the crowd as the largest he had seen in Sydney. "We were really overwhelmed with numbers," he told reporters on Sunday evening, noting attendees were well behaved and thanking them for complying with police orders. Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson described the situation as "perilous" and worried police were going to have a "major incident with potential loss of life". "I can honestly say in my 35 years of policing, that was a perilous situation ... I've never seen a more perilous situation," he said. Rally speaker and independent Jewish journalist and author Antony Loewenstein said he saw "no evidence" the huge number of people who attended were in any physical danger due to the crowd's size. "Police are trying to create a fiction around an event they maybe weren't prepared for," he said. Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley questioned the shutting down of a "critical piece of infrastructure" in Sydney. "I respect the right of free speech and protest, but this is taking it to another level ... the protest could happen elsewhere," Ms Ley told Sky News. Labor backbencher Ed Husic, who has been more outspoken on ending the war in Gaza, emphasised unity. First time protesters and friends Ian Robertson, 74, and Greg Mullins, 66, said they hoped their attendance could make a difference. "The world's gone mad," Mr Mullins told AAP. "I came today because I don't want my kids telling me what were you doing when this mass murder and genocide was going on," Mr Robertson said. About 25,000 protesters also marched through Melbourne to block a major CBD thoroughfare but were stopped by a wall of riot police at the entrance to the King Street Bridge. Many in the crowd banged pots and pans in a nod to mounting concerns about mass starvation in Gaza. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to local health authorities, while the United Nations says dozens of people have died in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's military campaign began after militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 251 hostages.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
New national commissioner appointed amid worsening outcomes for Indigenous children
The government has appointed a new National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, as national targets to reduce child removal and youth detention continue to slide backwards. Adjunct Professor Sue-Anne Hunter, a Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman, will start in the role later this year. She replaces Lil Gordon, who has served in an acting capacity since January. The appointment follows recent data from the Productivity Commission that shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remain more than ten times more likely to be in out-of-home care and 27 times more likely to be in youth detention than non-Indigenous children. Target 12 of the national Closing the Gap agreement, which aims to reduce over-representation in out-of-home care, is also not on track and is worsening. Nationally, just four out of the 19 targets are on track to be met by the deadline of 2031. Ms Hunter brings more than two decades of experience in child and family services, including frontline work and senior roles at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and SNAICC — National Voice for Our Children. She also served as deputy chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. After a career working in criminal justice and with young people, she described the new role as a lifetime's work, rather than a job. "I am honoured to accept this appointment as Australia's Inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People's Commissioner with the responsibility to ensure our systems are working to protect the wellbeing, rights and interests of children and young people," she said. "I recognise that we are at risk of losing another generation to systems that fail them, to removal, out-of-home care detention and a bleak future." The new role will involve the commissioner hearing directly from Indigenous young people and advocating for their rights. She said those children face a lot of risks. "The work is urgent and the statistics are grim. But our children are not statistics, they are our future," she said. "This role will elevate their voices and their concerns. They will be at the centre of everything I do." Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said the appointment reflects the government's recognition that more needs to be done in ensuring Indigenous children have the same opportunities as every other child. "We created this commissioner role to ensure the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are not just heard, but are amplified," she said. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said she looked forward to working with the incoming commissioner. "The number of First Nations children in out-of-home care and youth detention is deeply distressing and will take a collective effort to turn the figures around," Senator McCarthy said. The commissioner role helps support the implementation of Safe and Supported, the national framework for protecting children, which has been developed in partnership with states, territories and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
