Page 2436 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 August 2017
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My statement in May and a number of answers to questions that I have given in this place have made it clear that I am aware of some concerns among staff in Bimberi on various matters. I met with the CPSU about these matters earlier in the year and ensured that the directorate followed up on those concerns. I have made it clear to the CPSU, as I have to the official visitors and the Public Advocate and the Human Rights Commission, that they should feel free to contact me directly or my chief of staff if they have any concerns that they feel the directorate is not adequately addressing.
Clause 2(d) relates to Amnesty International. I can advise the Assembly that to my understanding Amnesty International did not seek to speak with me, my office, or the directorate prior to making a statement. Following publication of this statement the director-general contacted Amnesty International directly to offer a briefing on Bimberi and the ACT government’s approach to youth justice. Amnesty is welcome to visit Bimberi, as is any member of this place.
Clause 2(e) primarily appears to relate to a comment I made stating that most of the incidents reported were historical. That comment specifically referred to a number of allegations that were detailed by the Canberra Times on 4 July. The relevant article included a list of specific incidents, two of which related to staff members being investigated and cleared, the most recent of which was the May 2016 incident, of which I and the Leader of the Opposition have already spoken.
In providing comment to the media on these matters I have repeatedly emphasised that the safety of young people and staff at Bimberi is our number one priority and urged anyone with any concerns or evidence of issues at Bimberi to bring that information to the directorate, the Human Rights Commission or ACT Policing so the matter can be fully investigated. News outlets that take quotes can choose whether or not to use them, but anyone who has heard my radio interviews about Bimberi will know that I have consistently repeated this message.
Clause 2(f) relates to matters that were discussed in this place earlier this week. As noted in the clause, the police are investigating this incident. Without going into detail, this incident occurred when 12 young people were playing a game of touch football on the oval with five youth workers. The advice I have received is that a verbal altercation between two young people became physical, and two other young people got involved. My advice is that the incident was responded to quickly and the whole incident was resolved in approximately four minutes. Bimberi management and the directorate continually risk-assess management of whole-of-centre activities.
While I am on this subject I will take the opportunity to answer a question I was asked on Tuesday regarding the number of assaults within Bimberi in 2016-17. I am advised that there were six assaults in total in 2016-17. Four of the assaults were between young people. That is half the number recorded in the previous year. Two of the incidents involved young people assaulting staff; two of the six incidents were referred to ACT Policing because in the other four cases the staff and/or young people declined to pursue charges; and one young person was involved in two of the
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