{"id":10199,"date":"2022-03-15T15:50:29","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T04:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/?post_type=institutions&#038;p=10199"},"modified":"2025-06-03T11:44:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T01:44:17","slug":"ashley-youth-detention-centre","status":"publish","type":"institutions","link":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/ashley-youth-detention-centre\/","title":{"rendered":"Offending Institution: Ashley Youth Detention Centre"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Youth detention centres in Australia have a damning history. From <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/reiby-youth-justice-centre\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reiby Youth Justice Centre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/nsw-juvenile-justice-facilities\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mt Penang Training School<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in New South Wales and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/youth-detention-centres\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turana Youth Training Centre in Victoria<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, children have been mistreated and abused all over the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania is no different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The centre has been under fire in the media for decades. There are rumours of drug smuggling, child sexual abuse, violence and even the untimely death of a teenager. In this article, we expose the dark history of Ashley Youth Detention Centre.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>History of Ashley Youth Detention Centre<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashley Home for Boys was established in Deloraine, Tasmania, in 1926 and was later renamed Ashley Youth Detention Centre in 1999. It was the only institution of its kind at the time \u2014 all detainees were aged between 10 and 18-years-old. Some detainees were held on remand while others served out their custodial sentences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The centre had accommodation for 51 young people in four different units: Bronte (unisex and younger detainees), Huon (male detainees), Franklin (male detainees) and Liffey (admissions unit).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were four levels of programs and the first two were compulsory.\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Level one: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">learning skills and attitudes to help with living in a detention facility.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Level two: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">learning how to learn to live in the community e.g. employment, school, accommodation, reuniting with family, and leisure activities.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Level three: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">learning how to avoid breaking the law. This included programs for dealing with substance abuse, addressing different attitudes, and peer and family influences that lead to breaking the law.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Level four: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professional treatment for clinically diagnosed mental conditions.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2003, the Ashley School was opened on-site and offered courses in horticulture and aquaculture. From the outside, Ashley Youth Detention Centre might have seemed like an excellent rehabilitation facility for troubled teens \u2014 they could learn valuable new skills and receive treatment for existing mental health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Ashley Youth Detention Centre came under fire in the media in 2006. There were reports of breakouts, drug smuggling, substance abuse and violence within the walls of the facility, and even though a Select Committee was appointed to review the impact of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Youth Justice Act 1997 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and improve the treatment of detainees, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findandconnect.gov.au\/guide\/tas\/TE00070\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a death occurred on-site in 2010<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In September 2021, Premier Peter Gutwein announced that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-09-09\/ashley-youth-dentention-centre-tasmania-to-close\/100447184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashley Youth Detention Centre would close within three years<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and be replaced by two smaller facilities \u2014 one in the north of Tasmania and one in the south. Stakeholders had been calling for the centre to be closed since the detainee\u2019s death in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two new centres will have a more therapeutic model of care.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve long held the concern that the allegations of historical abuse and the ongoing speculation around Ashley is not conducive to achieving the best practice outcomes that we have strived for,&#8221; Mr Gutwein said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve made a decision, enough is enough. We&#8217;re going to change to a new model and we&#8217;re going to do so within three years. If we need to pivot some of the current infrastructure program and change the timing on certain projects then we will do so because this is such an important matter to get fixed.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><strong>The death of a detainee\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10204 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1.jpg\" alt=\"flowers in a field\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-irina-iriser-2781760-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-photo-of-flowers-during-daytime-2781760\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig Anthony Sullivan was detained at Ashley Youth Detention Centre on the 7th of October 2010 for a number of offences including stealing, breach of bail, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop after a crash, driving an unregistered car and driving a car without insurance. He was 18-years-old when he was detained because he was just shy of adulthood when he committed the offences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig had been detained at Ashley Youth on 10 separate occasions starting when he was just 12-years-old. He spent most of his teenage years detained at Ashley Youth and the staff had a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">genuine fondness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On arrival, Craig had a health check because he had recently been in a car crash and seemed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201ca bit fluey with a snotty nose\u201d and was distressed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about being detained. The nurse did not find any bruising on Craig at the time and assessed his health as \u201cunremarkable\u201d \u2014 other than a bad cold, Craig seemed to be his usual self and was admitted to the centre.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the 8th of October 2010, Craig was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">physically assaulted by another resident<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The resident said he \u201cjumped up and smashed a coffee cup out of Craig\u2019s hands\u201d and then proceeded to beat Craig over the head, pushed him, head-butted him in the forehead and attempted to knee him in the face but only clipped his nose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig was given medical attention for coffee burns and had a lump on his head but otherwise seemed to be fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the days following the attack, Craig was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">having trouble with his eyesight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and eventually had a black, swollen eye. He was also suffering from light sensitivity and chose to wear an eyepatch to alleviate it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the 10th of October, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig started vomiting in his room<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, couldn\u2019t eat breakfast and spent most of the day in his room. When he did leave his room, he complained to one of the youth workers that he had a headache. The worker thought Craig was using the headache as an excuse to go back to his room because the detainees had been arguing over who got to use the centre\u2019s Playstation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the coming days, Craig continued to suffer from headaches and light sensitivity. He couldn\u2019t eat and was rapidly losing weight. Around the 23rd of October, the resident who had attacked Craig said he looked like he was going to die.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig responded saying he felt like he <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">going to die<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Craig visited the nurse, often complained of headaches and vomited on a number of occasions, he was not referred to see a doctor and he was never taken to hospital. Instead, Craig called his mother.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI received a call from Craig on Saturday morning just gone. I don\u2019t know the date. In the first phone call, Craig told me that he had pains in his head at the back. He told me that he was holding his head and it felt like he wanted to get his head chopped off,\u201d his mother later said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCraig was specific that the pain was in the back of his head. Craig told me that he was going to go back to his room and lie down. I told Craig that I was ringing Ashley\u2019s and getting them to take him to the hospital. As soon as Craig hung up I rang Ashley\u2019s straight back.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the 25th of October 2010, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig was found unresponsive in his room<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The workers had heard Craig coughing through the night but didn\u2019t check on him other than asking if he was okay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig had suffered from a large ruptured brain abscess and died in the early hours of the morning. It is uncertain whether the abscess ruptured due to a sinus infection, the car accident or the assault at Ashley Youth but his symptoms suggested the abscess had been present for at least 10 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0014\/272012\/tas.2010.L0212.1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craig should have been referred to a doctor for a CT scan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This very well could have saved his life. If medical attention was received, there would have been a 90% chance of survival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>An alleged offender was promoted at the centre in 2020<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10203 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964.jpg\" alt=\"man reaching out\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964-1024x613.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964-768x460.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-lalesh-aldarwish-167964-1536x919.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-s-hand-in-shallow-focus-and-grayscale-photography-167964\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being slammed with allegations of serious misconduct, an employee of Ashley Youth Detention Centre was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offered a promotion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2020. At least one of the allegations against the employee was linked to a historical rape and another claimed that<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the worker was found naked with one of the youth offenders on-site<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is unclear whether the allegations were investigated at the time and what the outcome might have been. Since then, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the employee (along with two other alleged offenders) has been stood down<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greens leader Cassy O&#8217;Connor spoke to Human Services Minister Roger Jaensch and Communities Tasmania secretary Mike Pervan on the alleged abuser and found that the department had been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">alerted to the allegations of abuse on multiple occasions over a 20 year period<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mr Pervan claimed that the allegations had been reported to the police but they were unable to pursue a criminal investigation because the victim didn\u2019t want to be involved. However, a Tasmania Police spokeswoman <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">confirmed that the force had not received a complaint related to any of the three alleged offenders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Investigators are working collaboratively with Communities Tasmania to assess information they have received in order to identify any potential victims of unlawful activity,&#8221; the spokeswoman said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Tasmania Police actively seeks to engage with potential victims to formalise complaints\u2026 [and] encourages any victim or witness of criminal activity to make a formal report to the police who will assess the information and progress the matter appropriately.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><strong>Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government&#8217;s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings announced in March 2021\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In response to the ongoing issues at Ashley Youth Detention Centre and various other government institutions, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commissionofinquiry.tas.gov.au\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tasmanian Governor announced the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government&#8217;s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The commission has four main focus areas: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/our-work\/abuse-law-education-system\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">public schools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, hospitals, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/our-work\/foster-parent-abuse\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">out-of-home care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and youth detention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maree Norton, the counsel assisting the inquiry, said the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-10-26\/tas-commission-of-inquiry-culture-of-over-up\/100569084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> commission was aware of the allegations of abuse involving multiple perpetrators<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dating from the 1970s to the present along with allegations of destruction of documents relating to abuse complaints.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The investigation would also look into older detainees abusing the younger detainees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ms Norton said it was important to investigate the allegations and potential cultural problems at Ashley Youth Detention Centre in order to prevent abuse from happening at Ashley while it is still operating and at the two centres set to replace it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Claims that the workers destroyed documents and covered up abuse<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the beginning of the inquiry, Ms Norton said there was evidence that the staff at Ashley Youth Detention Centre had <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2021\/oct\/26\/staff-at-tasmanian-youth-detention-centre-allegedly-covered-up-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-hears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">covered up the abuse of detainees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, destroyed records and\/or failed to report abuse at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said there was an imbalance between complaints of abuse at the centre versus complaints made to oversight bodies \u2014 in fact, there was a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2021\/oct\/26\/staff-at-tasmanian-youth-detention-centre-allegedly-covered-up-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-hears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201csignificantly higher\u201d level of abuse than what had been reported<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt might also be that there has been a deliberate cover-up,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ms Norton also said progress on a reportable conduct scheme at the centre and the implementation of national principles for child-safe organisations had been limited.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe consultation phase for the legislation was completed in February this year but legislation is yet to be tabled in parliament,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This reflects Tasmania\u2019s slow introduction of key reforms that were recommended by the national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>More than 200 former detainees have come forward with allegations of abuse<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10200 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277.jpg\" alt=\"sad boy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7929277-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-boy-wearing-long-sleeves-sweater-pulling-his-hair-7929277\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the commission began, more than 200 former detainees have come forward alleging sexual abuse behind the walls of Ashley Youth Detention Centre. A 2022 report showed that there were 55 alleged sex offenders working at the facility \u2014 one of the former staff members was accused of sexually abusing at least 11 children over the course of three decades.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another staff member allegedly used sexual violence and physical intimidation against 26 of the claimants. It is alleged that the staff member would \u201chogtie\u201d the detainees and force masturbation on them as a tool to control them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the claimants, a man who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-08-21\/ashley-youth-detention-class-action-settlements-growing-action\/100394834\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">forced to perform sex acts on a member of staff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well as other detainees. He also claimed to have been physically abused on a regular basis \u2014 he was struck across the head, punched in the face, had bunches of keys thrown at him and was<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-08-21\/ashley-youth-detention-class-action-settlements-growing-action\/100394834\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> locked up in isolation without food for multiple days<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The survivor claimed he tried to make a complaint to a senior staff member about the abuse but he was immediately brushed off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another former detainee known only as Kyle (name changed for privacy) was just 10-years-old when he was incarcerated at Ashley Youth Justice Centre. He claims he was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sexually assaulted by a group of older detainees on his first night there<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;They basically bashed me to the point where I&#8217;d just given in and they abused me like, I just, you know, I said I couldn&#8217;t fight anymore like it was just, I&#8217;d just give up.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also claims that the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> staff members regularly abused him on excursions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;There&#8217;d be no signing of paperwork or nothing like you just literally get up, walk out, jump in the car and leave. On several of these trips, I was sexually abused by staff.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mary (name changed for privacy) was incarcerated when she was in her early teens. She said <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she wasn\u2019t allowed to wear a bra<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and was often left unsupervised in therapeutic programs with the boys. She was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sexually assaulted by these boys on a weekly basis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;The second time I was pretty badly assaulted and there was an incident where I was left alone with boys. There were no workers present. There were no cameras even, and that was pretty horrible.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main perpetrator, an 18-year-old boy, was transferred to an adult prison. Mary was not given any medical attention, counselling or support after these incidents. Instead, she was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offered contraceptive pills by the staff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mary was also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-06\/inquiry-told-55-workers-at-controversial-youth-detention-centre-\/100806768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">harassed and assaulted by one of the workers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;So within the first month of me being there, I was touched up by one of the workers and I knew it wasn&#8217;t okay for him to do that. It was a really horrible experience and I actually spoke up about it.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Mary reported the abuse, the worker was given two weeks of paid leave but later returned to supervise her. She told the state\u2019s ombudsman that the worker\u2019s behaviour made her feel uncomfortable but she was told that the issue would be dealt with internally at the facility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Scores of former detainees are now launching civil claims relating to abuse at Ashley Youth Detention Centre\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the announcement of the Tasmanian inquiry, hundreds of former detainees have come forward to share their stories about Ashley Youth Detention Centre and many are launching civil claims against the institution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Kelso Lawyers, we stand with survivors of institutional abuse. Our team of compassionate <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abuse lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will listen to your story, ensuring we have all the details and evidence required to achieve a desirable outcome for your claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Get the justice you deserve with Kelso Lawyers. We want to hear your story. Call (02) 4907 4200 or <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/contact-us\/\"><b>complete the online form<\/b><\/a><b> before you accept payment from the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/our-work\/national-redress-scheme\/\"><b>National Redress Scheme.<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><em>Feature Image:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-12-03\/staffer-accused-of-ashley-youth-detention-centre-abuse-promoted\/12943220\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ABC News<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13269,"parent":0,"template":"","categories":[251,403],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10199","institutions","type-institutions","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institutional-abuse","category-youth-detention-abuse"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Offending Institution: Ashley Youth Detention Centre - Kelso Lawyers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/ashley-youth-detention-centre\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Offending Institution: Ashley Youth Detention Centre - Kelso Lawyers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Youth detention centres in Australia have a damning history. 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