The royal commission found “shocking and systemic” failures in the NT’s child detention system. It also found that children had been subject to verbal abuse,physical control,and humiliation.
The nation’s top children’s commissioner,Anne Hollonds,toldThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age that she was outraged a child so young was detained in the facility.
“I was absolutely appalled to hear that a 10-year-old was in Don Dale,even for one minute that would be appalling. I’ve been to Don Dale,I know what it’s like - it’s no place for a 10-year-old,” she said.
”It might sound like a small thing,a 10-year-old in Don Dale for three days,it is not a small thing. A ten-year-old should never be in a place like that,” Ms Hollonds said.
The boy had been held in remand for three days after allegedly committing offences while on bail,the ABC reported. Court documents showed the boy was accused by police of being part of a group of young people who stole a car to do burnouts on a school oval in Darwin,and allegedly stole junk food from several service stations,it reported.
The boy allegedly assaulted a service station worker by throwing a window squeegee at them,and held a knife over his head and pointed it at a worker,the ABC said,adding he had been released on bail,but was remanded in custody after police allegedly found him in the back of a stolen car.
The Department of Territory Families said it could not confirm the details of the report due to privacy restrictions.