Tag: Moss Review

Asylim Seekers

Nauru: You Don’t Have To Be Indifferent To Work Here, But It Helps | newmatilda.com

 

Nauru: You Don’t Have To Be Indifferent To Work Here, But It Helps | newmatilda.com.

Asylim Seekers

A lawless hellhole | The alleged perpetrator of a rape was granted refugee status and released into the Nauruan community after having been accused.

A lawless hellhole | The Monthly.

Asylum Seekers

Abbott government is damned by Moss report

The Abbott government deserves condemnation for its cynical response last year to allegations about rape, sexual assaults and intimidation at Australia’s immigration detention centre on Nauru. First, for denouncing and denigrating Save the Children staff for raising the alarm – as any reasonable person would expect the staff to do. Indeed, it is their obligation.

It also deserves condemnation for releasing Philip Moss’s substantial report into those abuse allegations on a day the government’s spin doctors well knew was already flooded with news of the death of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser. It received the report six weeks ago.

But this government, which so nonchalantly plumbs moral lows at almost every turn, properly deserves condemnation for failing to provide the standard of care and oversight at the Nauru detention centre that Australians would expect.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is entirely correct when he says his government inherited this system from Labor. And in The Age’s view, those who served in the Gillard and Rudd governments should be ashamed by what they devised: a process of shipping all boat-borne asylum seekers to centres on Nauru and Manus Island, where they will idle indefinitely.

Yet the Abbott government, which has been in power for 18 months and which claims success in stemming the flow of asylum seekers to Australia, continues to preside over this unsound system of outsourcing the care of asylum seekers to other countries. At the very least, it must move swiftly to implement, as it says it will, Mr Moss’s practical suggestions for change in the supervision of the Nauru centre.

In particular, Mr Moss has urged Immigration Department head office to ensure it is more closely involved with what is actually happening on Nauru and to tighten the co-ordination between the various organisations that work there on its behalf. He has also recommended better training and supervision of Nauruan staff employed by Wilson Security and Transfield Services, and he has suggested the Nauruan police force take on a higher profile at the centre and adopt a “community policing” role.

Mr Moss noted some of the rape and sexual assault allegations had not led to formal complaints to police or authorities, possibly for family or cultural reasons. But he also pointed to fears of reprisal, and concerns among some asylum seekers that nothing would be done even if they did file a complaint.

That is a dreadful indictment of the government’s supervision, or whatever it might call it. The offshore detention regime reflects a poverty of compassion by successive governments and a woeful lack of imagination in finding other solutions. By paying other countries to house thousands of asylum seekers over the past two years, the Gillard, Rudd and Abbott governments have offloaded a level of responsibility. That must end.

At times the government has falsely blamed asylum seekers for disturbances, when such violence, for example on Manus Island early last year, was perpetrated by security staff and outsiders. It has sought to discredit asylum seekers, who complained of assaults or abuse, and others who relayed their claims.

Most egregiously, it sought to discredit and lambaste the president of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, over the timing of the commission’s investigation into the circumstances of children being held immigration detention.

No person detained should be in fear of their personal safety. They should not be subjected to sexual assault or harassment, and certainly not at the hands of staff whose duty it is to care for them. The ultimate duty of care, though, rests with the federal government. That duty is not diminished, either by distance or by handing de facto control of the centres to other countries.

Asylim Seekers

‘Things happen’: Tony Abbott on sexual assault allegations in offshore detention | Australia news | The Guardian: Dutton sidestepped and directed attention to the stress suffered by his Department.

Nauru children asylum seekers protest on Australia Day

‘Things happen’: Tony Abbott on sexual assault allegations in offshore detention | Australia news | The Guardian.

Asylum Seekers, Scott Morrison

Moss review recommends changes for immigration detention on Nauru: Dutton does an Abbott and make excuses ,”1200 people drowned. You don’t realize how strained we are keeping people in detention. It’ so hard on us. Immigration are the victims.” It didn’t work for Abbott against Triggs it doesn’t now.What would Morrison have said as Minister? At the time he said it was a set up he scapegoated the Save the Children contractors to exonerate his department. The review says he was wrong and it was a ploy!!

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DAVID MARK: A report by the former integrity commissioner, Philip Moss, has recommended a string of changes to the way the Nauru detention centre operates.

He was investigating allegations of sexual and physical assault on asylum seekers, including children, at the centre.

He’s also investigated allegations that staff on Nauru employed by the charity, Save the Children, encouraged refugees to self-harm or manipulate abuse allegations.

The Moss Review says there’s no information to prove those allegations.

Stephanie Smail reports.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: The Moss Review looked at a string of allegations about sexual and physical abuse against asylum seekers on Nauru.

They included claims of rape and forcing women to expose themselves in return for access to showers and other facilities.

The report says many asylum seekers living in the detention centre are apprehensive about their personal safety and have privacy concerns.

It also found some cases of sexual and physical assault aren’t being reported.

Philip Moss says when staff at the detention centre are made aware of issues, they have, in the most part, dealt with them appropriately and referred issues to police on Nauru when necessary. But he says there is room for improvement.

He wants the Nauruan government and the Immigration Department to overhaul how abuse claims are handled.

The Immigration Department has accepted the Moss Review’s 19 recommendations.

Mike Pezzullo is the secretary of the Immigration Department.

MIKE PEZZULLO: You don’t want to place anyone in a position where, for instance, a child is the subject of unwarranted and indeed completely depraved sexual attention in response, in relation either to someone’s gratification or in some cases, getting preferred access to things like showers or the ability to have a longer bath so you can shampoo someone’s hair.

I mean I find it abhorrent, and we’re going to crack down on the behaviour in partnership with all of the stakeholders I mentioned earlier.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: He says there are a couple of dozen allegations that warrant further attention.

The Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says he believes people on Nauru are safe.

PETER DUTTON: It was a very difficult environment, I think people need to understand the pressures on the staff, on the Nauruan government, on people within my own department at that time, and in the preceding months and years before that, because the boats had come freely and we had many, many people in held detention.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: The other substantive part of the report deals with allegations that staff working for the charity Save the Children encouraged asylum seekers to self-harm and fabricated claims of abuse.

Ten of the charity’s staff were removed from the island after those claims surfaced.

Philip Moss reviewed intelligence reports and interviews from Wilson Security, the security provider at the centre. But he says none of the information indicated conclusively that Save the Children staff had engaged in those activities.

Mr Moss acknowledged there is still an Australian Federal Police investigation into the case, but he has recommended the Immigration Department review its decision to remove the staff from the island anyway.

The department secretary says he accepts that recommendation and he met with Save the Children last week.

MIKE PEZZULLO: The contractual point in time decision to remove the staff, or to seek to have them removed, because they had to be removed both contractually but also in terms of their visa status by the government of Nauru, is something that should be reviewed in the context of looking at all of the circumstances that led up to that point in time decision.

So I’ve already agreed with Save the Children. I met with their CEO last week, that was one of the preparatory matters that we were engaged in, in preparing the action plan to respond to the Moss Review.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: Mike Pezzullo has set his department a two month deadline to work on fulfilling the recommendations.

The Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says the report shows why the Government is so determined to stop asylum seeker boats reaching Australia.

PETER DUTTON: Twelve-hundred people did die at sea when these boats were coming and do I want to see anyone in detention? Of course I don’t. But I also can’t allow a situation again where we see a flotilla of boats coming, and we end up with the sorts of things that we’re talking about today. That’s what I don’t want to return to.

DAVID MARK: The Immigration Minister Peter Dutton ending Stephanie Smail’s report.

Asylum Seekers

Rapes, sexual assault, drugs for favours in Australia’s detention centre on Nauru: independent Moss review

The Moss Review found compelling evidence that at least three women have been raped inside the Nauru detention centre.
Rapes, sexual assault, drugs for favours in Australia’s detention centre on Nauru: independent Moss review

The Moss Review found compelling evidence that at least three women have been raped inside the Nauru detention centre.

The Moss Review found compelling evidence that at least three women have been raped inside the Nauru detention centre. Photo: Angela Wylie

The full Moss Review report
Analysis: Taking out the trash but too clever by half
Someone owes someone an apology

An independent review into sexual abuse inside Australia’s detention centre on Nauru has found evidence of rape, sexual assault of minors and guards trading marijuana for sexual favours from female detainees.

The review, conducted by former integrity commissioner Philip Moss, found no evidence that Save the Children staff on Nauru had coached detainees to embarrass the Abbott government.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton shrugged off criticism that the damaging report was released under the cover of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser’s death on Friday.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton shrugged off criticism that the damaging report was released under the cover of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser’s death on Friday. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Former immigration minister Scott Morrison called the Moss review in October 2014 after he removed Save the Children staff, based on the advice of his department, amid suspicions they had encouraged self-harm, facilitated protests and fabricated assault allegations.
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New Immigration Minister Peter Dutton shrugged off criticism that the damaging report was released on Friday afternoon under the cover of the death of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser but acknowledged the contents of the review were “concerning”.

Mr Moss found compelling evidence that at least three women have been raped inside the detention centre and raised concern that sexual assault is likely to be under-reported due to a climate of fear and detainees worrying about their future refugee status.

“The review became aware of three allegations of rape (two female and one female minor), one which the Nauruan Police Force is investigating and two which the victims do not want to pursue by making a complaint. These allegations are concerning. They are also concerning because two of the victims do not feel able to bring forward these allegations to relevant authorities,” the report states.

The report confirmed that one of the suspected rapists, a male detainee, has been given refugee status and settled on Nauru.

Many of the complaints by female asylum seekers revolve around Nauruan guards employed by Australian contractors Wilson Security and Transfield Services, with allegations of drunkenness and lechery. Twelve guards have been sacked by those companies for misconduct.

Female detainees live in an environment of fear, according to the review. It details instances of guards spying on women as they lie inside their tents in their underwear due to the tropical heat of Nauru.

A female detainee reported a guard “drunk and on drugs” stopping her in front of a tent. “Then he suddenly grabbed my arm and he said ‘you are so sexy and you’re so beautiful’,” she told Mr Moss.

An incident in which a guard demanded to see a female detainee naked in return for allowing her an extra two minutes in the shower with her young child was confirmed.

Mr Moss found evidence of “sexual favours being exchanged for marijuana is possibly occurring” based on interviews with detainees.

A Wilson intelligence report of June 2014, obtained by the review, suggested that “organised prostitution … in relation to trading of contraband” was happening.

The review obtained information from intelligence reports authored by Wilson Security staff, highlighting possible “subversive” activity by Save the Children staff.

“None of this information indicated conclusively to the review that particular contract service provider staff members had engaged in these activities,” it found.

Mr Moss has proposed that the department find a way to resolve the unfair deportation of the staff.

Save the Children chief executive Paul Ronalds said the charity was sure from the start its staff had done nothing wrong.

“The idea that they could do anything to put children in harm’s way is absurd. We have said this right from the very beginning. The Moss Inquiry shows beyond a doubt that there was and is no basis to these claims,” he said.

“What’s deeply troubling is the evidence uncovered by the Moss Inquiry supporting allegations of sexual and physical assaults on Nauru including allegations of rape, one of which was against a child.

“There was never any need for fabrication or exaggeration by Save the Children staff – the evidence is clear.”

Mr Dutton said the government accepted all 19 recommendations of the Moss Review and said Nauru would work to solve problems highlighted.

“They don’t have a tolerance for illegal behaviour, including in particular sexual assault. I find the thought of anybody, in particular children, being sexually assaulted completely abhorrent,” he said.

“It’s not something that we would accept in Australia and it’s not something that the Nauruans accept in their community either.”

The Australian Lawyers Alliance said the Commonwealth cannot outsource care of asylum seekers and could be liable for a “swathe of future compensation claims”.

“The nature of allegations raised in the Moss Review of sexual harassment, rape, trading sexual favours for marijuana and cigarettes and children being touched inappropriately, if proven, show that the Commonwealth has failed in its duty to take reasonable care of asylums seekers.”

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Media, Media monitoring

The Mainstream Media Refuse To Do Their Job, So New Matilda Needs Your Help To Do It For Them | newmatilda.com

The Mainstream Media Refuse To Do Their Job, So New Matilda Needs Your Help To Do It For Them | newmatilda.com.

Asylum Seekers

Fresh Revelations Weaken Scott Morrison’s Claims About Self Harm Coaching By Staff On Nauru

The former Immigration minister’s accusations against Save The Children workers are starting to look very shaky. Max Chalmers reports.

Allegations that Save The Children staff working on Nauru encouraged asylum seekers to self-harm to get off the island have been further undermined, after a key former Department of Immigration employee Gregory Lake denied ever coming into contact with evidence supporting such claims.

Lake, who formerly served as a Director of Offshore Processing for the Department, was drawn back into the public spotlight on Monday night when a Lateline investigation linked him to the Moss Review – a government inquiry into allegations of ‘self-harm coaching’ and sexual assault on Nauru.

Speaking to New Matilda yesterday, Lake said he was not aware of any instances in which Save The Children staff had encouraged self-harm.

“I can say unequivocally that I have never had any experience which suggests Save The Children staff coached people to self-harm,” he said.

“There’s never been any evidence to suggest that, that I’ve ever seen.”

According to Lateline, key witness and Wilson Security employee Lee Mitchell was unable to provide “specific evidence” that Save The Children staff had coached self-harm. So instead, he pointed to reports prepared by Lake to back his claims.

“I’m feeding back to Lake’s comments in July. He says he knows this goes on. Coaching absolutely does go on,” Mitchell reportedly told the Moss review.

But as Lake pointed out to New Matilda, he left the Department in April 2013 – well over a year before the allegations surfaced – and when he worked on Nauru there were no children held in the detention centre, and Save The Children, therefore, had no presence on the island.

Lake has previously aired allegations that asylum seeker advocates have coached self-harm, allegations he reiterated to New Matilda.

But he said the investigation into Save The Children couldn’t possibly rely on him for evidence.

“I have no idea if it took place in this instance,” he said.

Lake’s statements cast the situation in a new light, when the broader context of the Moss Review is considered.

The review was sparked after months of reports indicating serious instances of sexual assault had taken place in the Nauru detention centre.

But the day former immigration minister Scott Morrison announced the review, The Daily Telegraph published a story alleging Save The Children staff had been assisting detainees on the island protest, and coaching self-harm.

The Telegraph reported that an intelligence document provided to the government stated it was “probable that there is a degree of internal and external coaching and encouragement to achieve evacuations through self-harm action”. It did not provide any evidence to support the claim, however, and Save The Children rejected the allegations outright.

It now appears clear that the report which the Telegraph relied upon was prepared by Mitchell.

New Matilda understands that transcripts from the Moss inquiry record Mitchell telling Philip Moss – the former Integrity Commissioner heading the review – that he authored a September intelligence report relating to the allegations against Save The Children.

The report the Telegraph quoted was dated September 26.

These links were connected after Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young managed to get a hold of the intelligence report, and read it into Hansard last week.

Like the Telegraph article, the report contained an allegation of self-harm coaching, but no evidence to support that claim.

According to Hanson-Young, the lack of evidence in the document and the testimony of Mitchell aired on Lateline indicate the claims of self-harm are part of a witch-hunt which has led to the more serious allegations of sexual assault and abuse of detainees being thrust aside.

“The more we find out about this ridiculous witch-hunt, the worse it looks for the government,” she told New Matilda.

“This so called ‘Intelligence Report’, that was used to fire Save the Children workers, clearly isn’t worth the paper it was written on.

“It’s deeply concerning that the Abbott government is willing to invest this sort of effort into a witch-hunt while disregarding claims of abuse and assault in the centre.

“The Moss Report should be released, in full, immediately.”

The Moss Report is expected to be released any day, however, the Coalition has not guaranteed a full copy of the document will be made available, let alone the transcripts of interviews conducted by Moss.

In a letter to the Clerk of the senate, Assistant Minister for Immigration, Michaelia Cash wrote: “The Review Team spoke with a number of people, some of whom did so on the grounds that their identity would be protected. It is important that the Department consider those wishes in the context of any public release of report material.”