‘Shocking’ Detention of Australia’s Aboriginal Children: Royal Commission Report Needs Swift Action

Michael Garcia Bochenek - Human Rights Watch

This dispatch from Human Rights Watch describes the abuses and mistreatment of aboriginal children held in detention centers in northern Australia, highlighting the findings of a royal commission released on Friday. The commission has concluded that the detention facilities are “not fit for accommodating, let alone rehabilitating” the children incarcerated there and is calling for their closure. 

"Australian federal and territory officials should immediately put an end to these practices and ensure the individuals responsible are held accountable, including by bringing criminal charges as appropriate," says Human Rights Watch. "They should take the commission’s recommendations as a roadmap for a thorough overhaul of the Northern Territory’s juvenile detention system."