2016-08-19
The latest report of alleged abuse in a Queensland youth detention facility demonstrate that the Royal Commission into such abuse should be national, with evidence of alleged abuse in other states deserving of investigation, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“I urgently ask the Prime Minister to expand the Royal Commission to investigate youth detention beyond the Northern Territory.
“I understand that the Prime Minister is worried that an expanded Royal Commission could take longer, but there are ways around addressing that concern.
“The Royal Commission can be two-tiered, and should focus on and report first on the Northern Territory and Don Dale, and the second part should investigate youth detention across the country.
“This approach will ensure that the NT gets the urgent attention it needs, whilst still ensuring a national investigation.
“We have been repeatedly told that abuse in youth detention is not isolated to the Northern Territory, investigation should not stop at a territory border because broadening the investigation seems like too big of a task”.