Monday, 2 September 2024
So our detention system at Banksia Hill Detention Centre has claimed yet another young Aboriginal boy as a victim. This is now the second in a period less than twelve months. And the usual voices have joined the cacophony of criticism from mainstream Australia. The statements that keep getting repeated are along the lines of “these are perpetrators of crime; they deserve nothing less than the inhumane treatment that they are receiving”.
It is a fundamental tenet of our civilised society that people, who are jailed/incarcerated for whatever reason, do not lose their rights as a human being.
Human rights are a fundamental part of our existence. Whether you are incarcerated or otherwise free in society, nothing about your humanity should change. And so it is for these children. They should not lose any part of their humanity when they are jailed.
But the system in Banksia Hill does not see it that way. It seems that they lose any right to continue to be protected and remain in safety. Until we change the culture of the justice system to recognise this, we will continue to lose young lives. And sadly, the significant proportion of those young lives will be those of Aboriginal children.
Suresh Rajan
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