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| Children who fear return to Nauru have attempted suicide, say paediatricians | Children who fear return to Nauru have attempted suicide, say paediatricians |
| (7 months later) | |
| A seven-year-old girl attempted suicide by cutting her face and chest with razor blades, children have jumped from buildings in attempts to kill themselves, and a two-year-old boy on Nauru played with cockroaches because “he has no other toys”, a report from the Australian Human Rights Commission says. | A seven-year-old girl attempted suicide by cutting her face and chest with razor blades, children have jumped from buildings in attempts to kill themselves, and a two-year-old boy on Nauru played with cockroaches because “he has no other toys”, a report from the Australian Human Rights Commission says. |
| A series of interviews conducted by paediatricians with asylum seekers inside Wickham Point and Christmas Island detention centres paints a bleak picture of mental trauma suffered by children in detention, and an overwhelming fear of being returned to Nauru. | A series of interviews conducted by paediatricians with asylum seekers inside Wickham Point and Christmas Island detention centres paints a bleak picture of mental trauma suffered by children in detention, and an overwhelming fear of being returned to Nauru. |
| The high court Wednesday upheld the legality of Australia’s offshore detention regime, and the Australian government’s power to pay for, control, and direct detention of people in foreign countries. | The high court Wednesday upheld the legality of Australia’s offshore detention regime, and the Australian government’s power to pay for, control, and direct detention of people in foreign countries. |
| The ruling directly affects 267 asylum seekers currently in Australia, including 37 babies born in Australia, who could now be removed to Nauru on 72 hours notice. | The ruling directly affects 267 asylum seekers currently in Australia, including 37 babies born in Australia, who could now be removed to Nauru on 72 hours notice. |
| Paediatricians accompanied a team from the Australian Human Rights Commission visiting immigration detention centres at Wickham Point outside Darwin, and on Christmas Island. | Paediatricians accompanied a team from the Australian Human Rights Commission visiting immigration detention centres at Wickham Point outside Darwin, and on Christmas Island. |
| Their report, published by the AHRC, details the comments of children and their parents in detention. | Their report, published by the AHRC, details the comments of children and their parents in detention. |
| Every night she wakes up and screams that someone is coming to take her back to Nauru | Every night she wakes up and screams that someone is coming to take her back to Nauru |
| She has no friends. She cries all the time and says I want to go from here. She has cut herself with a razor on her chin, face, chest. She eats poorly, has daily headache and tummy pain and poor weight gain. Every night she wakes up and screams that someone is coming to take her back to Nauru. (Mother of girl, aged 7) | She has no friends. She cries all the time and says I want to go from here. She has cut herself with a razor on her chin, face, chest. She eats poorly, has daily headache and tummy pain and poor weight gain. Every night she wakes up and screams that someone is coming to take her back to Nauru. (Mother of girl, aged 7) |
| Two of her friends jumped off the building and got broken hips and legs. They were sent to the community. She is talking about doing the same thing. She has been seen (by a counsellor in Darwin) and mental health here but says ‘talking to them doesn’t change anything for me.’ She has no medication, no psychiatrist. (Mother of girl, aged 15) | Two of her friends jumped off the building and got broken hips and legs. They were sent to the community. She is talking about doing the same thing. She has been seen (by a counsellor in Darwin) and mental health here but says ‘talking to them doesn’t change anything for me.’ She has no medication, no psychiatrist. (Mother of girl, aged 15) |
| When interviewed independently the girl reported: “I am at the end of the line. I’m really negative. I’m at the end. I feel maybe I should kill myself to end it all.” (Girl, aged 15) | When interviewed independently the girl reported: “I am at the end of the line. I’m really negative. I’m at the end. I feel maybe I should kill myself to end it all.” (Girl, aged 15) |
| My child was playing with cockroaches – he had no other toys. (Father of boy, aged 2) | My child was playing with cockroaches – he had no other toys. (Father of boy, aged 2) |
| The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, said the findings of the report were disturbing. | The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, said the findings of the report were disturbing. |
| “Detention, whether on Christmas Island, Nauru or centres on the Australian mainland, is dangerous and unsafe for children. Thirty-four per cent of the hundreds of children we visited had severe to moderate mental illness, compared to 2% of children in the Australian community. Their health and wellbeing, and that of their parents, was at risk from cramped conditions in tents and remodelled containers, inadequate healthcare, even sexual and other assaults.” | “Detention, whether on Christmas Island, Nauru or centres on the Australian mainland, is dangerous and unsafe for children. Thirty-four per cent of the hundreds of children we visited had severe to moderate mental illness, compared to 2% of children in the Australian community. Their health and wellbeing, and that of their parents, was at risk from cramped conditions in tents and remodelled containers, inadequate healthcare, even sexual and other assaults.” |
| The paediatricians who interviewed the children and their families – Prof Elizabeth Elliott and Dr Hasantha Gunasekera – said the children at Wickham Point who had spent time on Nauru were among the most traumatised they had ever treated. | The paediatricians who interviewed the children and their families – Prof Elizabeth Elliott and Dr Hasantha Gunasekera – said the children at Wickham Point who had spent time on Nauru were among the most traumatised they had ever treated. |
| “We were deeply disturbed by the numbers of young children who expressed intent to self-harm and talked openly about suicide and by those who had already self-harmed. The only appropriate management of this situation is removal of children from the toxic detention environment which is causing and/or exacerbating mental ill-health.” | “We were deeply disturbed by the numbers of young children who expressed intent to self-harm and talked openly about suicide and by those who had already self-harmed. The only appropriate management of this situation is removal of children from the toxic detention environment which is causing and/or exacerbating mental ill-health.” |
| The report said many children were being placed in detention already traumatised, and that the fact of detention, along with inadequate mental healthcare, was compounding their harm. | The report said many children were being placed in detention already traumatised, and that the fact of detention, along with inadequate mental healthcare, was compounding their harm. |
| “Some children had witnessed atrocities at home, survived a traumatic boat trip, had been moved between several onshore to offshore detention centres, were traumatised by the presence of uniformed guards and actions such as head counts and had palpable anticipatory trauma at mention of return to Nauru.” | “Some children had witnessed atrocities at home, survived a traumatic boat trip, had been moved between several onshore to offshore detention centres, were traumatised by the presence of uniformed guards and actions such as head counts and had palpable anticipatory trauma at mention of return to Nauru.” |
| Children reported nightmares about being returned to Nauru, bed-wetting, vomiting and heart palpitations. | Children reported nightmares about being returned to Nauru, bed-wetting, vomiting and heart palpitations. |
| The situation on Nauru is quite different than the way in which people are painting it | The situation on Nauru is quite different than the way in which people are painting it |
| Elliott said the mental health of children was further damaged by being cared for by traumatised parents. | Elliott said the mental health of children was further damaged by being cared for by traumatised parents. |
| “It’s effectively neglect when you have a very depressed mother who can’t engage and bond with her baby. That baby may well suffer developmentally, fail to develop speech, fail to develop physically, and, in fact, fail to thrive, despite an adequate diet, because of that emotional deprivation,” Elliot said. | “It’s effectively neglect when you have a very depressed mother who can’t engage and bond with her baby. That baby may well suffer developmentally, fail to develop speech, fail to develop physically, and, in fact, fail to thrive, despite an adequate diet, because of that emotional deprivation,” Elliot said. |
| On Christmas Island, there were 15 women with babies under a year old who had attempted suicide and were on 24-hour suicide watch. | On Christmas Island, there were 15 women with babies under a year old who had attempted suicide and were on 24-hour suicide watch. |
| “Many of them just couldn’t engage with their babies.” | “Many of them just couldn’t engage with their babies.” |
| The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, told the ABC’s 7.30 that the Australian government was committed to its current compassionate arrangements for people requiring medical attention, but that offshore processing was a fundamental policy in controlling Australia’s borders. | The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, told the ABC’s 7.30 that the Australian government was committed to its current compassionate arrangements for people requiring medical attention, but that offshore processing was a fundamental policy in controlling Australia’s borders. |
| “There’s obviously a lot of emotion around this issue at the moment ... but the situation on Nauru is quite different than the way in which people are painting it. For example, nobody is held in detention on Nauru. There is the ability for people to come and go freely in the community and I think it’s quite a different picture than that which has been painted by some of the advocates, but, as I say, that’s understandable because it is a very emotional space.” | “There’s obviously a lot of emotion around this issue at the moment ... but the situation on Nauru is quite different than the way in which people are painting it. For example, nobody is held in detention on Nauru. There is the ability for people to come and go freely in the community and I think it’s quite a different picture than that which has been painted by some of the advocates, but, as I say, that’s understandable because it is a very emotional space.” |
| The Human Rights Commission has written to the government highlighting 50 “cases of concern” of children in detention. These are the most seriously traumatised children in the detention system. The government, the AHRC says, has committed to responding individually to these cases. | The Human Rights Commission has written to the government highlighting 50 “cases of concern” of children in detention. These are the most seriously traumatised children in the detention system. The government, the AHRC says, has committed to responding individually to these cases. |
| Dutton has said in several interviews each case for removal to Nauru would be assessed individually. | Dutton has said in several interviews each case for removal to Nauru would be assessed individually. |
| “I’ve given an assurance I’m not going to send children back into harm’s way.” | “I’ve given an assurance I’m not going to send children back into harm’s way.” |
| Triggs said she welcomed the government’s commitment to individual assessment, rather than a “blanket approach”. | Triggs said she welcomed the government’s commitment to individual assessment, rather than a “blanket approach”. |
| “You would have thought, on any rational analysis, and in light of the medical evidence, that you would have to conclude that the best interests of every one of those children is to remain in Australia.” | “You would have thought, on any rational analysis, and in light of the medical evidence, that you would have to conclude that the best interests of every one of those children is to remain in Australia.” |
| • In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here | • In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here |