A Save the Children employee accused of encouraging protest and self-harm among detainees on Nauru says the Moss review has exposed the government’s “absolute negligence” in caring for asylum seekers.
The Moss review into “conditions and circumstances” within the Australian-run detention centre on Nauru detailed: an allegation that a child was raped; reports of rape by two women; women stating that they were forced to expose their bodies in exchange for access to showers; internal security reports of an illicit trade of marijuana for sexual favours; and consistent reports of self-harm by children, including lip-stitching, an attempted hanging, and self-wounding.
But in his 86-page report ( Here ), released Friday afternoon, former integrity commissioner Phillip Moss said he found no information indicating conclusively that Save the Children workers on Nauru encouraged protests or acts of self-harm.
A Save the Children worker said: “This report exposes the absolute negligence of the government in ensuring these people are properly protected. The government has been aware of these problems for months – the intelligence reports and the incident reports show that. But instead of addressing these very serious problems, its reaction has been to allege the complaints are exaggerated, that asylum seekers have been coached. What is happening to women and children on Nauru is absolutely horrific.”
Nine Save the Children staff were summarily dismissed at the government’s insistence after a three-page security report alleged that they were facilitating protests and passing confidential information off the island. Their dismissal is currently the subject of a legal challenge. Moss found their dismissal should be reviewed by the government.
The Moss review was established in October by the then immigration minister, Scott Morrison, to investigate two separate tranches of claims on Nauru: allegations of sexual and physical assault of asylum seekers, including children, within the detention centre, and reports that Save the Children Staff were facilitating or encouraging protest and self-harm.
Moss found many asylum seekers on Nauru were “apprehensive about their personal safety and have concerns about their privacy in the centre”.
AND … Tony Abbott’s reaction …
• Guardian, ‘Things happen’: Tony Abbott on sexual assault allegations in offshore detention
• Guardian: Voters aren’t fickle, just discerning. And they will punish bad governments
