Australia's Shame
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Investigative journalism, Television broadcasting |
| Founded | July 4, 1961 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Parent | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) |
| Website | www |
Australia's Shame is an installment of the Australian investigative journalism series Four Corners, broadcast on ABC on 25 July 2016. Authored by ABC reporters Caro Meldrum-Hanna and Elise Worthington, with Meldrum-Hanna as the correspondent, the episode uncovered the treatment of juveniles at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre located near Darwin in the Northern Territory. Incorporating disturbing footage spanning 2010 to 2015, it shed light on the conditions within the centre's "Behavioural Management Unit" (BMU) maximum security cells. The program featured interviews with Northern Territory's Minister for Correctional Services John Elferink, legal professionals, and both former and current Children's Commissioners Dr. Howard Bath and Colleen Gwynne.
Summary
The episode titled "Australia's Shame" centers on Jake Roper, Ethan Austral, Kenny Rogan, and Dylan Voller detained at Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre in Berrimah, Northern Territory. It begins by showing Voller restrained in a mechanical chair equipped with a spit mask at Alice Springs adult correctional facility following self-harm incidents; he was transferred there after threats at Don Dale but returned after legal intervention.
Presenter Sarah Ferguson contrasts this scene with infamous international detention facilities to underscore its severity. Narration by Caro Meldrum-Hanna presents August 2014 footage capturing Roper escaping from his BMU cell by removing light fixtures while other detainees observe. Roper had been subjected to 23-hour solitary confinement for 15 days, described as causing significant distress. Subsequently, authorities deployed tear gas into the cell affecting all occupants before forcibly removing them outside and dousing them with water.
Testimonies from former Children's Commissioner Dr. Howard Bath, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency lawyer Jared Sharp, and solicitor Peter O'Brien outlined BMU conditions—children confined for up to 24 hours daily without access to running water, air conditioning, fans, or fresh air circulation. Media reports on the August 2014 incident exposed false claims by authorities alleging detainees rioted wielding metal bars and glass. Minister John Elferink publicly reiterated this incorrect narrative; Meldrum-Hanna asserted that "prison authorities weren't telling the truth."
Roper recounted feelings of anger and depression during his detention at Don Dale after being arrested in June 2014 for car theft while homeless. He later escaped alongside four others but was apprehended and placed back into BMU cells. Both Roper and fellow detainee Austral conveyed enduring psychological trauma; Austral, interviewed via Skype, revealed he sometimes awakens feeling confined in the same place. Austral had experienced multiple detentions since age 11 for burglaries and car thefts.
Q&A
Immediately following the broadcast of "Australia's Shame" on ABC, a live panel discussion took place on the program Q&A. The panel comprised Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Laundy, Labor MP Ed Husic, Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs, Shireen Morris representing the Cape York Institute, and Reverend Peter Kurti from the Centre for Independent Studies. All panelists had viewed the episode shortly before it aired. Ed Husic described the silence that ensued after viewing, expressing a "deep sense of indignation" over the absence of responsive action.
Host Virginia Trioli initially questioned Triggs, who labeled the children's treatment depicted as "absolute horror," stating she had never encountered such conditions within detention facilities before. She stressed the urgency for a formal inquiry. Laundy, Husic, Morris, and Kurti concurred; Laundy indicated he would notify "both the Prime Minister and relevant Ministers" and suggested providing all footage to the State Government to support their decision-making process.
Government reaction
The program was broadcast just one month prior to the 2016 Northern Territory general election held on 27 August 2016, intensifying scrutiny on the ruling Country Liberal Party after their defeat in the Northern Territory during the federal elections in June. Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and leader of the Country Liberal Party, Adam Giles, described conditions at facilities such as Done Dale Detention Centre as "a shocking state of affairs," endorsing demands for a Royal Commission to examine the situation. Nonetheless, Giles voiced "complete confidence" in the detention officers while recognizing the difficulties inherent in their duties.
In the wake of "Australia's Shame" airing, John Elferink was removed from his position as Northern Territory Minister for Correctional Services, with Giles temporarily taking over that role. Elferink maintained his other responsibilities, including those of Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
After discussions involving Giles, Attorney-General George Brandis, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, and Gillian Triggs, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared on 26 July 2016 the establishment of the Royal Commission into the Northern Territory juvenile detention system. Turnbull highlighted the urgency to address "cultural issues" and administrative lapses that permitted such abuses, assuring that the inquiry would be initiated "as soon as possible." When questioned about whether the Northern Territory government itself would undergo investigation, he clarified that the primary objective was to determine what transpired at Don Dale.
See also
References
- Notes
- Citations
External links
- "Australia's Shame" on the Four Corners website