Wadeye clinic staff targeted by disturbing break-ins, underwear ‘played with’, parliament told

HEALTH staff have been evacuated from their clinic following a spate of disturbing break-ins in which intruders have been playing with their underwear and drawing sexual images on furniture, parliament has been told

Health staff in Wadeye have been targeted in a spate of disturbing break ins, parliaments has been told

HEALTH staff have been evacuated from Wadeye following a spate of disturbing break-ins in which thieves have been playing with their underwear and drawing sexual images on furniture, parliament has been told

Deputy Opposition leader Gary Higgins told parliament on Wednesday that he had been contacted by several concerned clinic staff working in Wadeye, about 400 kilometres southwest of Darwin. He read out a email he received from one of them.

“Last week the doctors had three break‑ins … this alone had been bad enough, but the sexual nature of these break‑ins was highly concerning as there was explicit sexual drawings on furniture, windows, TV, alone with playing with the female doctor’s underwear was a message that could not be dismissed,” it read.

“Doctors and nurses have left the community due to this unsafe situation.”

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she was aware there had been unrest and disturbances in Wadeye over the past couple of weeks.

“I have been advised that there have been repeated break-ins at staff homes, damage to those homes and cars, vandalism of personal property, and threatening behaviour to the health centre staff on their call-outs,” she said.

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“These incidents have been reported to police and we are supporting staff who feel unsafe … or if they need to leave that community.”

She said the clinic remained open with reduced staff numbers.