‘Appalling’: Six guards injured as children riot at maximum-security prison

Six guards have been injured – one officer suffering a broken foot – during a violent riot at a Perth prison housing youth detainees.

Six guards at a maximum-security prison for Perth’s youth have been hurt in a riot that began after a child hit an officer with a makeshift weapon and stole her keys.

The juvenile detainees were being held in the Unit 18 youth centre within Casuarina Prison on Perth’s southeastern outskirts about 4pm on Saturday when two youths were outside their cells for recreation.

One of them used a weapon made from the metal of their bed frame to hit an officer in the head and steal her keys.

The pair then freed 11 other youths from their cells, leading to the riot.

“The 13 detainees climbed rooftops of Unit 18 and two nearby buildings, damaging infrastructure and throwing debris at staff,” a West Australian Department of Justice spokesman said.

“A security cordon was put in place and prisoners at Casuarina secured during the incident.

“The detainees progressively surrendered to officers during the night, the last doing so at 2.15am.”

Casuarina Prison’s Unit 18 houses youth detainees from Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre, moved there after accommodation at Banksia Hill was damaged in riots earlier this year.

Six prison officers were injured during the incident, including one who suffered a broken foot.

Three buildings were damaged and one flooded after the fire sprinkler system was activated.

Premier Mark McGowan said the conduct of the detainees was “appalling”.

“They’ll suffer the consequences, they’ll suffer the charges and so forth,” Mr McGowan said on Sunday.

“When they do these sorts of things it’s unacceptable, shocking, it’s appalling.

“I have no time for it, I think the vast majority of the population has no time for it either.”

Six prison officers were injured in the incident, with at least one suffering a broken foot.

At least one of the group of 13 was over the age of 18, having been sentenced when they were a juvenile offender.

The youths are being held at Casuarina while repairs are carried out at Perth’s Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre, where accommodation was damaged in riots earlier this year.

“We’re spending a lot of money to beef up security and so forth, because they just destroy their cells … when they’re given the opportunity to go and engage in some recreation, they attack people,” Mr McGowan said.

“That’s the problem we face.”

‘It’s unacceptable, shocking, it’s appalling, I have no time for it, I think the vast majority of the problem has no time for it either.’ – WA Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Philip Gostelow

The Premier again indicated his government would try to have laws brought in by the middle of the year to ensure offenders were moved to adult facilities once they reached 18.

In a separate riot in late February, a prison guard at Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre had his skull fractured.

Another large-scale riot also took place there on New Year’s Eve, with two buildings damaged by fire.

There was also a “disturbance” at Acacia Prison, northeast of Perth, in late January, which also required the assistance of firefighters.

Originally published as ‘Appalling’: Six guards injured as children riot at maximum-security prison