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Malcolm Turnbull Announces Royal Comission Into NT Juvenile Detention

The Prime Minister made the announcement following last night’s chilling Four Corners program

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a Royal Comission into juvenile detention in Northern Territory after last night’s Four Corners program exposed the shocking treatment of children.  

“This is a shocking state of affairs and we will move quickly to establish what happened, as Gillian Triggs said last night, this needs a thorough inquiry,” he said.

The report contained shocking CCTVfootage from inside the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in which guards stripped and assaulted a teenage boy.

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Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs called for an independent inquiry on Q&A, describing the situation as “extremely distressing”.

“I certainly think we need some kind of government-based independent commission, whether it’s a full royal commission or not I don’t know,” she said. “If one of us were to have been found to have treated our children in this way we would probably be charged with a criminal offence and the children would be taken away from us.

“It’s an extremely distressing piece of footage to look at and I have visited many detention centres, sadly. I have never seen conditions of that kind and I have never seen people treated in that way.”

Following the program NT Chief Minister Adam Giles also issued a statement stating he was “shocked and disgusted”, and also called for an inquiry, reports the ABC. 

“A community is judged by the way it treats its children and serious questions were raised by ABC tonight,” Mr Giles said. “Equally the Northern Territory Government does not resile from its tough approach to those who don’t want to respect other people’s property or safety.

“I have indicated to the Commissioner that if police were to form a view that any law has been broken then the government and the community would expect that such matters be pursued rigorously.

“I also will seek advice on the establishment of a royal commission to investigate the matters raised in the Four Corners story. I intend to consult the Leader of the Opposition on the terms of reference of this inquiry.”

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