Ensure the safety of children now

The Member for Karama Delia Lawrie MLA is calling for immediate action to be taken today to ensure the protection of our children within the Northern Territory juvenile corrections facilities.

“I am distressed and horrified by the brutality committed on children in detention that I witnessed on the ABC Four Corners Report that went to air last night,” Ms Lawrie said.

“There is never a reason to perpetrate brutality against children and it is all the more shocking to discover that systemic abuse exists within a corrections system that should be there to rehabilitate children.

“I welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that a Royal Commission will be held, but I call for immediate independent oversight of our Corrections facilities now to ensure the wellbeing and safety of children.”
Ms Lawrie is calling for the sacking of Corrections Minister John Elferink and the immediate release of reports the CLP Government have into the detention of juveniles in the Northern Territory.

“We were told that children were tear-gassed after a riot. That is clearly a lie. What did the CLP Government know and when and why was this lie created and repeated?” Ms Lawrie asked.

“We all should be so deeply grateful to all of the whistle-blowers on the Four Corners Report and start restorative justice seeking their views on what urgent action can be taken to make our juvenile facilities safe – at the very least this should include operational directions not to use the draconian force that was legislated by the CLP.

“A Royal Commission will uncover who did what, who knew what was occurring, and who was responsible. That knowledge is crucial to ensuring we are given a clear series of recommendations to prevent this systemic brutality. But for the sake of our children, we should convene an urgent meeting of our former and current Children’s Commissioners and the Making Justice Work committee. Let this meeting be tri-partisan, including the Government, Opposition and Independents.”

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