Abuse of Children in Detention May 2015

The Australian Paediatric Society calls upon the Australian Federal Government to stop as a matter of urgency detention of children and their families. The meeting feels strongly that they should be released from situations of proven harm and abuse in Australian-run detention centres and not transferred to foreign facilities where harm is likely to occur.

The meeting recognises that detention of young vulnerable individuals causes lifelong physical, psychological and developmental harm.

The meeting notes that when these circumstances occur for Australian resident children they mandate reporting to, and subsequent action by, state and territory child protection services who are however unable to act to protect children in detention.