Malmsbury teen inmates ambush staffer in bid to escape
Two teenage inmates at Malmsbury Juvenile Justice Centre ambushed a staff member in a savage assault and tried to snatch her swipe card in a bid to escape.
Police & Courts
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Two inmates grabbed and dragged a female staffer in an attempted prison break at the troubled Malmsbury youth justice centre.
The two male teenagers, from the intensive supervision annex, attempted the escape at the Mollison Street facility about 4.15pm on Friday afternoon.
The Herald Sun understand the inmates grabbed and dragged the staffer to a swipe card access point so they could use her accreditation to escape.
Other prison staff intervened before they were able to flee.
The offenders have since been detained.
The specialist Safety and Emergency Response Team (SERT) and Security and Emergency Services Group (SESG) responded to the incident.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed they took one person to a local hospital in a stable condition this afternoon.
A prison source said one of the inmates “was hurt (and) convulsing” after SESG staff intervened.
The female officer escaped serious injury but is “very shaken” by the ordeal, the source said.
A door between the courtyard and the intensive supervision annex was damaged earlier in the week and had not been fixed, which prompted the failed prison escape.
The Herald Sun understands the cunning offenders attempted to distract the pair of prison officers by asking for Cornflakes.
This is when they set upon the other officer to grab her security pass.
The female staffer resisted but the two offenders dragged her towards the courtyard to try and forcibly use her card, which was still around her neck.
The entire facility was placed into lockdown after the savage assault.
Community and Public Sector Union spokesman Julian Kennelly said it was a “disgraceful act”.
“It is a pretty brazen and bold ambush to try and snatch an access pass,” he told the Herald Sun.
“There is a feeling among staff they have been abandoned by the government.”
The incident is the latest in a string of violence at the centre this year.
In January a male staffer was assaulted with a makeshift weapon made out of a broomstick.
A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokeswoman said the incident was “quickly brought under control”.
“A youth justice worker was taken to hospital for assessment, and a young person was taken to hospital due to a medical condition,” the spokeswoman said.
“Violent behaviour or assaults at youth justice centres are absolutely unacceptable, and the safety of staff and young people is paramount.
“New laws are now in effect that strengthen consequences for young people who assault youth justice custodial workers, damage property, and escape or try to escape.
“This includes a presumption they will serve their sentences on top of an existing period of detention.”
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