Legal, health and social services organisations call for NT Government to be sacked over Don Dale abuse

THE Northern Territory government should be sacked following the release of footage showing child abuse in the prison system, a collective of legal, health and social services organisations say

Community member Joy Cardona says she “hasn’t stopped crying for these kids” involved in the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre abuse. PICTURE: Helen Orr

THE Northern Territory government should be sacked following the release of footage showing child abuse in the prison system, a collective of legal, health and social services organisations say.

On Monday night, the ABC’s Four Corners program broadcast disturbing footage of juvenile offenders being assaulted, abused, and gassed by officers at Darwin’s child detention centre, details of which were made public in two reports last year.

“I don’t think it’s enough just to sack the minister ... what we’ve called for today is the federal government to make a move to abolish or remove the current government,” said Olga Havnen, CEO of the Danila Dilba Health Service.

“Anybody that abuses their power in this kind of way has forfeited their rights to form government, in my view.”

Her call was seconded by Wendy Morton, executive director of the NT Council of Social Service.

“I don’t think we can feel safe with this current government around our children, our young people, and our families in the NT, we need change,” she said.

Corrections Minister John Elferink was dumped from the portfolio, but he retains five other portfolios including children and families, and attorney-general and justice.

“One of the most immediate things we need to do is remove (Mr Elferink) from all portfolios that have anything to do with children and families,” Ms Morton said.

The government has announced it will build a new youth justice facility, that it will appoint an inspector-general of corrections, and that police would investigate and possibly prosecute centre staff.

But Felicity Gerry, QC, from Charles Darwin University, said the entire system needed an overhaul.

“We’re effectively criminalising a whole generation of the NT’s youth for reasons we can’t quite properly fathom, we’ve got a cycle of children going in and out of prison for very short sentences with homelessness, disadvantage, ill health, mental health issues; it simply cannot go on,” she said.

“The sort of kneejerk action — `We’ll prosecute someone and have a fall guy’ — is the wrong reaction to have.” She called for a speedy Royal Commission: “We’ve got children in cages in a building that was condemned for adults ... we’ve got to move quickly to protect the children of the NT.”

President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs, Professor Gillian Triggs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda and Children’s Commissioner Ms Megan Mitchell joined the chorus welcoming the Prime Minister calling a Royal Commission.