FED: Report finds no evidence of child abuse at Woomera

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2000
FED: Report finds no evidence of child abuse at Woomera

By Natalie Davison

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock has indicated the father and
child at the centre of unfounded sex abuse allegations at the Woomera detention facility
may look at taking legal action for defamation.

Mr Ruddock today announced a report into the Woomera detention centre found no evidence
to substantiate allegations of abuse against a 12-year-old boy at the facility.

Mr Ruddock told reporters in Sydney that a report from the South Australian Family
and Youth Service confirmed the boy had not been abused.

The report came after allegations from two nurses at the South Australian centre that
the boy had been offered to other inmates at the facility in return for cash and cigarettes
for his father.

"According to the report the child maintained at no time did his father or anybody
else at Woomera sexually abuse him," Mr Ruddock said.

"The outcome of this thorough investigation is that there is no evidence to contradict
the child's explanation of the events of a specific night or to suggest sexual abuse at
any other time while he was at Woomera."

Mr Ruddock said the government had offered legal advice to the father in relation to
the allegations.

"There has been a lot written and a lot said which if it was said about an Australian
family with all of the implications, I am sure people would be looking at what their legal
entitlements are," Mr Ruddock said.

"Because this reflects upon the boy's father, it reflects upon the boy, it reflects
upon them and their reputation in terms of how they are seen within the community.

"If any politician had been dealt with in the way this boy and his father were dealt
with you would not have heard the end of it."

Mr Ruddock said the incident should serve as a case study as to why the media and politicians
should not jump to conclusions before inquiries are complete.

"All of those people who are out there using this as a way of simply pursuing a broader
political agenda in relation as to who should be running detention centres or whether
or not there should be mandatory detention should have very clearly in their minds the
harm that can be done in putting aside the principles that we demand apply in relation
to Australians and that is that you don't make any findings until the jury is back," he
said.

Mr Ruddock said the father, the boy and others in the same community had been severely
hurt by the allegations.

"The suggestions were that there were some cultural factors operating here that justified
inappropriate behaviour and a whole lot of assumptions were made which defamed a community
of people," he said.

"They have sought access to legal advice and we are facilitating that."

Mr Ruddock said the boy and his father had since been reunited.

But he would not comment on any disciplinary action against the two nurses at the detention
centre who raised the allegations.

He said recommendations on any changes to reporting incidents at the centre would be
made in the separate inquiry by former Foreign Affairs and Trade department secretary
Philip Flood.

Mr Ruddock also said the allegations had led to the government reconsidering the issue
of children being detained.

He said one option the federal government was looking at was the so-called Swedish
model where children and their mothers could be held separately from the detention centre.

AAP nd/sb/jas/de

KEYWORD: WOOMERA REPORT LEAD

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