The National Network call upon South Australia’s Attorney-General, Kyam Maher, to face the children his laws are locking up. ‘It is unacceptable for him to ignore the voices of young people suffering under a brutal colonial legal system that cages Aboriginal children on their own land,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘The continued silence and avoidance from the Attorney-General are acts of cowardice. When children call for justice and seek a response, to turn away and ignore their pleas is a gross failure of leadership,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘There is a glaring hypocrisy in naming a children’s prison with a Kaurna name honouring First Nations language—while using that same facility to incarcerate and brutalise Aboriginal children,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre is not a place of care or rehabilitation, but a symbol of the violence of the state against Aboriginal children. To imprison these children on their own country, in their own communities, and then dismiss their voices when they speak up is typical of government representatives—but as a National Network demand better,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘Attorney-General Maher was invited to meet with these children, to hear directly from them about their experiences in detention, and to respond to the findings of From Those Who Know, a report authored by Shona Reid, the Guardian for Children and Young People. Yet after nearly five months, there has been no response. Instead of showing compassion or leadership, the Attorney-General has chosen to hide behind silence, evading responsibility and accountability,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This cannot stand. The National Network demand an immediate and urgent response from the Attorney-General to the voices of these children. His refusal to meet with them, to acknowledge their humanity, and to take responsibility for the laws that continue to punish and brutalise them is not only shameful—it is a betrayal of his office,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Our children deserve to be in their homes, their schools, and their communities—not locked away in cages where even those responsible for their well-being refuse to listen. The state must divest from children’s prisons. Our children deserve care, compassion, and community, not further harm at the hands of a government that continues to ignore their calls for justice,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘The National Network call on the Attorney-General to step up, listen, and engage meaningfully with the children whose futures he is impacting. Anything less is an abdication of his duty to serve all South Australians, particularly the most vulnerable,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226
