Immigration Detention

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:45): I rise today to speak about the Nauru files. I do so cognisant of some numbers. I note that The Guardian has published some 8,000 pages that detail 2,116 accounts of sexual abuse, torture and humiliation inflicted on people in their care, inflicted on people in our name, inflicted on people who are not able to be named. I have been listening to Richard Flanagan's work and I have to commend him for bringing, yet again, this issue to the fore. His use of the documents that were leaked and then published in The Guardian have, in his words:

...woken me from a slumber too long. It has panicked me. The stories are very short, what might be called in another context flash fiction. Except they are true stories.

I want to tell you some of these stories now. They are not fiction, they are not a horror film, they are people's lives. We are spending $1.2 billion a year on keeping human beings in these conditions. I will quote:

16 November, 2013…

Young person (redacted) reported to TSA CA that a Nauruan Transfield employee had grabbed his genitals just outside tent (redacted). A security guard had witnessed the young person pushing the man just following the alleged sexual misconduct. Young person's mother (redacted) also reported to be concerned about male cleaners walking in tent pathways without an accompanying female. CA informed shift leader and SCA CSPW.

5 June, 2014

(redacted) took her daughter (redacted) to use the toilet in area 3 in OPC3. Security lady did not allow them to go in and asked them to go to the toilet on the open space in front of area 3. When her daughter pulled down her pants and squatted, the security lady flashed the torch on her private part. (redacted) felt embarrassed and pulled her pants up. Then that security lady pulled the lanyard which was around (redacted). (redacted) put her hands in the air and cried 'don't touch me'. Later they tried to complain to the security boss, but he refused to reveal his staff's name. Statement taken in presence of cultural advisor (redacted).

August 24, 2014

CSO (redacted) was informed by cultural advisor (redacted) that (redacted) had allegedly been raped 1 month ago. The victim wanted to keep it quiet for fear of retaliation from other asylum seekers. She stated she wanted to talk with Mental Health services and did not want the police involved.

September 26, 2014

Six UAMs self harmed in UAM compound. UAMs also attempting to tear down tarps in the tent. IHMS called and 6 UAMs moved to RPC1 for treatment.

February 3, 2015…

At 12.40, child protection case manager, (redacted), was walking with Farsi interpreter, (redacted), past area 4. Interpreter greeted two women sitting in the smoking area of area 4. They stopped the interpreter by calling her. One woman (later identified as (redacted)) conversed with interpreter in Farsi. The interpreter relayed to case manager that one of the women is upset because she was on a bus this morning on her own, and a local guard 'touched her body'. The woman indicated through the interpreter that she wanted this passed onto her case manager, and said her case manager was '(redacted)'. It was then that the woman identified herself as (redacted), boat ID (redacted). (redacted) said that he would notify case worker of information. NB: risk rating and incident type changed by Wilsons.

This incident was not marked as critical and not cited as rape. I continue:

June 12, 2015…

I (redacted) met with (redacted) in the (redacted). During the discussion (redacted) disclosed that she had sex while in the community and that it had not been consensual.

26 June 2015

(redacted) 1 (SCA teacher) was supervising three students in a room of the RPC1 school, and was sitting on the floor playing cards with (redacted) 2. (redacted) 3 walked into the classroom and reached up and took down a bottle of cleaning fluid from the top of a cupboard where it had been stored. (redacted) 1 stood up and asked (redacted) 3 to give her the bottle, but he took the top off and ran out of the classroom. As he ran he attempted to drink the liquid. (redacted) 1 ran after him and knocked the bottle from his hands. Most of the cleaning fluid ended up on the ground and the front of (redacted) 3's shirt, however he did ingest up to a cupful of the liquid. (redacted) (education manager) immediately took (redacted) 3 aside to attend to his immediate needs, and CSO (redacted), who was present contacted IHMS. (redacted) 1 went into the classroom and did a sweep for any other potentially harmful items including chemicals and sharp objects.

I repeat—

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Franks, your time is well and truly out.