Category Archives: Royal commission into the protection and detention of children in the Northern Territory

NT ordered to pay $1m in damages to youths teargassed in 2014 Don Dale disturbance

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Justice rules use of gas was unlawful and says there was ‘high-handedness or disparaging comments’ by officers towards Indigenous detainees

The Northern Territory government has been ordered to pay almost $1m in damages to four former detainees who were unlawfully teargassed during an incident at the notorious Don Dale youth detention centre.

According to a supreme court judgment delivered last week, Keiran Webster, Leroy O’Shea, Ethan Austral and Josiah Binsaris were entitled to exemplary damages after officers in the centre deployed CS gas, a form of teargas, to “incapacitate” another boy during a “serious disturbance” in 2014.

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Northern Territory moves to raise age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12

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Government says authorities will refer children under 12 and their families to parenting and behavioural change programs to break the cycle of offending

The Northern Territory government is seeking to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 12 years old.

The Labor government introduced the legislation to parliament on Thursday, saying authorities would now refer children under the age of 12 and their families to intensive parenting and behavioural change programs to break the cycle of offending.

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NT argues using spit hoods on Don Dale detainees ‘justified’ despite banning them

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Government continues to defend civil claims from former inmates by arguing restraint of minors ‘reasonable’

The Northern Territory government is still fighting civil claims from Don Dale detainees by arguing the use of spit hoods on minors was “reasonable”, despite having since banned their use and agreeing to royal commission recommendations to outlaw the practice.

The government has also argued Don Dale officers were trying to keep a young Indigenous detainee “safe” when they left him for almost an hour with his hand handcuffed above his head to a basketball court fence.

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