AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
The "incident reports", published
by the Guardian, reveal that self-harm and violence are commonplace
at the centre.
Numerous reports relate to sexual
assault and coercion of women at the centre.
The Australian government has
been contacted by the BBC for a response.
It told the Guardian it
"continues to support the Nauruan government to provide for the health,
welfare and safety of transferee children" and that alleged incidents were
always investigated.
Trauma, assaults and self-harm
Australia outsources the
processing of asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat to two privately
run facilities - one on Nauru and another on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
The companies that run the
facilities, security and services at the centres are contractually required to
report incidents of various kinds within specified time frames.
The incident reports were written
by employees - including guards, caseworkers and teachers - and range in date
from May 2013 to October 2015.
The secretiveness of the
Australian and Nauruan governments about conditions at the centre has led to
complaints from the media and human rights groups.
A large number of the reports
concern children, either describing alleged abuse or disturbing and unusual
behaviour brought on by trauma.
One report alleges that a
security guard shone a torch on a young girl's genitals as she tried to
urinate.
Others detail children suffering
nightmares of "blood and death" and wishing for suicide.
GETTY IMAGES
One report alleges that a bus
driver took photos of asylum seeker women in order to masturbate later.
Others describe refugee girls
being harassed and touched at school, and detainees being asked for and granting
sexual favours in return for cigarettes and marijuana.
Hundreds of incidents of
threatened and actual self-harm are described in the documents.
In one incident, a minor had sewn
a heart shape into his hand using a needle. When asked why, he answered "I
don't know".
Another report described a woman
carving her husband's name in her chest with a knife after she could not get a
tattoo. Her husband is living in Australia.
A spokesperson for the Department
of Immigration and Border Protection told the Guardian: "Alleged incidents
within the regional processing centre are investigated and where appropriate
referred to the Nauru police force (NPF) for investigation. Refugees living in
the community are encouraged to report all incidents of assault to the NPF."
"The Australian federal
police has deployed officers to work alongside the NPF and build their capacity
to investigate complex and sensitive incidents. Australia provides
comprehensive medical support services to the regional processing centre in Nauru
and to the Nauruan government health facilities."
Shadow Defence Minister Richard
Marles criticised the government for a lack of transparency and independent
oversight at the centre.
"The government could be
talking to Nauru actively to arrange systems of independent oversight for the
facility, now it's not clear to me that those conversations have ever occurred
between the Australian government and the Nauruan government," he told Sky
News.
Australia and asylum
The number of asylum seekers travelling to Australia by boat
rose sharply in 2012 and early 2013. Scores of people have died making the
journey.
To stop the influx, the government adopted tough measures
intended as a deterrent.
Everyone who arrives is detained. Under the policy, asylum
seekers are processed offshore at centres on Nauru and Manus Island in Papua
New Guinea.
The government has also adopted a policy of tow-backs, or
turning boats around.
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