Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates, along with some NGOs, have made a public call for reform in youth prisons amidst allegations of child abuse. In an open letter addressed to the Victorian government, they expressed their concerns about the current treatment of children in these institutions.
The advocates are challenging the Victorian Government for its failure to uphold Australia’s commitments to implement safeguards as outlined in the UN’s Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT), which the country adopted in 2017. They asserted that “Victoria has now missed multiple deadlines for the introduction of the minimum safeguards to guard against mistreatment in prisons.”
Victorian, New South Wales, and Queensland are currently the only states in Australia that have failed to implement these safeguards. There have been alleged instances of abuse in youth prisons in each of these states. The alleged wrongdoings include utilizing solitary confinement, excessive force, dogs, and partially clothed searches. More troubling are reports associated with spit hooding, a dangerous and potentially fatal practice.
These revelations coincide with increased calls to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 to align with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Disturbingly, according to Raise the Age, indigenous youngsters comprise 65% of the youngest detainees within these youth prisons. This is disproportionate considering indigenous Australians account for only 3.8% of Australia’s population.
To read more detailed accounts on the issue, please visit the full article published here.