2015-10-21
The young Somali woman who is pregnant after an alleged sexual assault on Nauru needs an independent advocate to protect her from harassment and help her navigate the Kafkaesque cruelty to which she has been subjected, the Australian Greens have said.
"Abyan needs help and she needs it now," the Greens' immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
"The government should appoint an independent advocate who can act as a circuit breaker, bringing an end to this awful ordeal.
"The Australian Government and the Immigration Minister have failed this poor young woman and now an independent advocate is her only hope of getting the care she needs.
"The government has used independent experts in the past, such as former Integrity Commissioner Philip Moss, who conducted a recent review in to the Nauru detention camp.
"Abyan's Kafkaesque nightmare has been allowed to carry on for far too long. The extraordinary situation facing this young woman and the need for immediate action means the government must act now to get her the care she needs."
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