The National Network appalled and deeply troubled by the recent revelations regarding the treatment of children in Queensland’s police watch houses. The distressing footage and reports brought to light by Guardian Australia and SBS The Feed expose the dire situation that demands immediate attention and action.
‘Children belong in their bedrooms, in their classrooms, and in our communities – not in cages. The scenes depicted in the footage show a reality that is entirely unacceptable,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘A young child, Sam, with severe intellectual disabilities, was seen in a state of extreme distress, screaming ‘it’s too cold in here,’ and being physically restrained repeatedly. A young boy, Kieran, struggling to breathe, uttered the haunting words that we are hearing way too often in the prison system, ‘I can’t breathe,’ only to be dismissed by officers,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘We have to ask ourselves: who are we as a community when we ignore the cries of our children?’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The Queensland government’s suspension of its own Human Rights Act to allow for the extended detention of children in adult police cells is a gross violation of human rights,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Many of these children are disabled, further compounding their vulnerability. The government is using watch houses, designed for short term imprisonment, but using these as long-term holding facilities for children is not only inappropriate, but also violent, dangerous, and amounts to state sanctioned abuse,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Recently the findings from the coronial inquest into the deaths of Shiralee Deanne Tilberoo and Vlasta Wylucki were handed down. In those findings, the coroner’s first recommendation was that the time that watchhouses could hold people should be minimised and reduced to 72 hours,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘How are the Queensland government responding to that recommendation?’ said Debbie Kilroy.
The oversight bodies, which are supposed to ensure accountability, have expressed significant alarm about the treatment of children in these facilities. The Office of the Public Guardian raised 550 separate issues on behalf of children in just the first two months of 2024. This is not an isolated incident but a systemic problem. ‘All of these expressed concerns, but nothing has changed, when will the torture of our kids stop?’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The Queensland police service’s response is so typical. They are justifying the use of isolation cells by saying that the children are showing “violent, aggressive or harmful behaviour.” They aren’t being violent; they are trying to get our attention! They are being harmed b the State. They are being abused. They are being placed in environments that exacerbate their conditions, rather than being provided with the care and support they need,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘These kids are not the problem, the system is,’ said Tabitha Lean.
The National Network call on the Queensland government to take immediate action to end the use of police watch houses for caging children, and to Increase funding and resources for mental health and disability support services. Children with disabilities and mental health issues need specialised care and support, not incarceration. We call on the government to establish an independent, transparent inquiry into the treatment of children in police custody. This inquiry must have the power to make binding recommendations to prevent further abuses and to hold the police and correctional system to account for their violations of children’s human rights.
We cannot, and must not, ignore the cries of our children. It is our moral duty to protect their rights and ensure they are treated with dignity, care and compassion. The time for action is now.
We urge the Queensland government to heed this call and take immediate steps to rectify this grave injustice.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226.