What About The Children?

[the_great_she_elephant]

I am amazed and disgusted that in all the indignation over what Gillian Triggs should or shouldn't have done or who said or didn't say what to her, not ONE SINGLE POLITICIAN  except, finally, Malcolm Turnbull, has commented in any way on the contents of her report..

She found that  over a 15-month period from January 2013 to March 2014, spanning both the Labor and Coalition governments  there were 233 recorded assaults involving children and 33 incidents of reported sexual assault. 

If these findings are true - and as far as I know nobody has so far disputed them -   then what is going to be done about it? Who had the duty of care? who is going to be held responsible. What measures are going to be put in place to stop this abuse happening in future?

Both Gillian Triggs and George Brandis are astute and comparitively wealthy adults able to instruct top  legal practitioners to protect their reputaions - but who is going to protect the safety of these children? How many more children have been abused since March 2014? Is a child perhaps being abused in a detention centre  even while you are reading this post? 

Surely to goodness after all that was learned from the Children In Care Royal Commission this report cannot simply be put in a "don't want to know" basket while both sides of Pariament try to gain political mileage out the motives of the Human Rghts Commissioner or the behaviour of the Attourney General.

At some point -though probably not in the lifetime of this government  or even  the one that follows it - there will inevitably be a Royal Commission into the treatment of children in detention centre. what do you imagine its findings are likely to be?

[the_great_she_elephant]

Has anyone else read this?

http://www.theage.com.au/national/save-the-children-staff-removed-from-nauru-deserve-an-apology-ceo-...

What struck me most forcibly was Abbotts response in an interview with 2GB:  "Occasionally, I daresay, things happen, because in any institution you get things that occasionally aren't perfect."

He is talking about a Government run institution where helpless women have been humiliated and raped and children have been offered drugs in return for sex - and where those who tried to defend them were removed and villified.

. I'm havng great trouble trying to  get my head around this. have we learnt nothing from the ongoing royal commission into the abuse of children in care?

[lloydslights]

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1689988-moss-report-review-conditions-circumstances-nauru.ht...

She- ele, please read the Report.  Particularly page 66.  

The 10 employees who had been relieved of their duties at the Centre (1 of whom resigned) the remaining 9 had their employment terminated by Save The Children in January.

DEB.  

[debra9275]

I read it and I also read  page 65 which says that the SOC received notice to remove the staff, so that's why they removed them

[i-need-a-martini]

THe thing that galls me the most is his casualness in his response in comparison to the tantrum he had when the HR/Triggs report came out.

These are children and women we are talking about and there is not one iota of care.

He disgusts me.

[lloydslights]

Yes Debra they were removed from Nauru on 3/1014.  Their employment from Save the Children was ceased on 12/1/15.

EXCERPT FROM THE REVIEW

When Save The Children (STC) received Notice to Remove, not all relevant staff subject to the Notices were in Nauru.  One had previously resigned.  Three other members were not in Nauru.  STC issued letters dated 3 October 2014 l to the staff members concerned advising of their removal from normal duties and departure from Nauru.........they were escorted to the airport by the Nauran Police Officers ......

Subsequently, STC conducted an internal investigation into the 9 of the 10 staff.  The findings went out to the Review and the Department.

Item 4.86 of the Review STC Statement....."

On 12 January 2015 Save the Children ceased the employment of those 9.

DEB

[debra9275]

I'm not sure what to make of it... was it because their work on Nauru had ceased or maybe because their names had been tarnished, I noticed in the report although 'blacked out' that these Save the Children workers had been individually named. Which is pretty bad imo , especially if they were innocent of what was being alleged.

save the children has asked for an apology, they have not stated anywhere that any of their staff were guilty of any wrong doing.

[debra9275]

this could be the answer on page 72

[i-need-a-martini]

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@debra9275 wrote:

I'm not sure what to make of it... was it because their work on Nauru had ceased or maybe because their names had been tarnished, I noticed in the report although 'blacked out' that these Save the Children workers had been individually named. Which is pretty bad imo , especially if they were innocent of what was being alleged.

save the children has asked for an apology, they have not stated anywhere that any of their staff were guilty of any wrong doing.

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They were pretty vocal to the media and I understand let Morrison know of their opinion in no uncertain terms.

[debra9275]

I just realized that it's being  reported that the govt had the Moss report for a month which means they already knew the result of that report at the same time as they were attacking Gillian Triggs- that's very poor!

[lloydslights]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@debra9275 wrote:

I'm not sure what to make of it... was it because their work on Nauru had ceased or maybe because their names had been tarnished, I noticed in the report although 'blacked out' that these Save the Children workers had been individually named. Which is pretty bad imo , especially if they were innocent of what was being alleged.

save the children has asked for an apology, they have not stated anywhere that any of their staff were guilty of any wrong doing.

---

They were pretty vocal to the media and I understand let Morrison know of their opinion in no uncertain terms.

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If I remember correctly, the Moss Review was brought about due to various allegations and was instigated on the 3/10/14

Generally, it appears that the various Security companies and Save the Children team and others disregarded the Nauruan representatives (Police and/or Justice system) and that there was no real co-ordination to deal with matters and concerns raised within the Camps.

The recommendations of the Moss Review are accepted by the Government and are to be acted upon, I understand.

DEB