The national Children’s Commissioner has expressed concern for the mental health of teenagers held at a Tasmanian detention centre.
Megan Mitchell visited Pontville, north of Hobart, last week and said she found evidence of mental health issues among the young men.
“Some of them did tell me they were self-harming and some had sleep disorders,” Ms Mitchell said.
About 200 males aged between 15 and 18 have been sent to Pontville since it reopened last year.
There have been two violent incidents involving large groups of teenage detainees.
Now a 16-year-old there is starving himself.
The teenager phoned the ABC and through an interpreter, said he had been detained at Pontville for five months.
He said he had no information about his case and claimed none of the agencies that helped under-age asylum seekers had helped him.
The Immigration Department confirmed it was monitoring one person at Pontville who was refusing food.
Child asylum seeker advocate Sophie Peer said it was taking too long to process children’s claims.
“We’re seeing children detained for nine, ten and more months and it’s simply unacceptable and we’re surprised this is the first hunger strike at Pontville,” Ms Peer said.
