The United Nations has explicitly condemned the Liberal Government’s abhorrent treatment of Tasmanian children in detention at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, in a Universal Periodic Review of Australia’s human rights compliance.
In the Review, serious concerns were expressed that children were being kept in solitary confinement at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. This practice is a clear breach of the Liberal Government’s responsibilities under the Convention Against Torture.
49. The Committee against Torture expressed concern that corporal punishment remained lawful under the label of so-called reasonable chastisement in the home throughout Australia, as well as in day-care and alternative care settings, public and private schools and detention centres in some states and territories.
50. The same Committee expressed serious concerns about the very low age of criminal responsibility (10 years); the persistent overrepresentation of Indigenous children and children with disabilities in the juvenile justice system; reports that children in detention were frequently subjected to verbal abuse and racist remarks and restrained in ways that were potentially dangerous; the practice of keeping children in solitary confinement, in particular at the Banksia Hill youth detention centre in Western Australia, the Don Dale youth detention centre in the Northern Territory and the Ashley youth detention centre in Tasmania; the high number of children in detention, both on remand and after sentencing; children in detention not always being separated from adults; and children’s lack of awareness about their rights and how to report abuses.
“It’s completely detestable that Tasmanian children have been locked in solitary confinement at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, in contravention of their human rights,” said Cecily Rosol MHA, Greens Children and Young People Spokesperson.
“The Commission of Inquiry could not have been clearer about the need for this practice to stop, and we need to hear an urgent update from the government on whether that has happened.”
“Concerns over the low age of criminal responsibility were also raised by the UN. Increasing the age of criminal responsibility was a recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry, but the Liberal Government still hasn’t stopped locking up Tasmanian kids as young as ten.”
“The Liberals must take action now to protect the human rights of Tasmanian children in youth detention, as long promised,” Rosol concluded.
The Tasmanian Government has yet to respond to the UN report.
