Australian Democrats' Senator for South Australia Natasha Stott Despoja has renewed her call for the release of detained people from the Baxter Detention Centre.
Senator Stott Despoja is today visiting Baxter with Merlin Luck, refugee advocate and one time Big Brother housemate.
"Many families are still separated by the Governments heartless detention policies. I am meeting with detained people, assessing the conditions they face and hearing their concerns," Senator Stott Despoja said.
"The Governments policy of locking up children and their families is reprehensible. The prolonged detention of children amounts to 'Government-sanctioned child abuse'.
"There have been many studies that show detained children are being harmed by detention itself, as well as by exposure to violence, riots and self-mutilation in the centres.
"The Government justifies its abuse of children by saying it deters people smugglers, but no policy that causes suffering to children is justifiable.
"Children and their mothers, even in residential housing detention, suffer trauma and live under stress. Government claims that residential detention means women and children live 'largely within the community' are simply not true.
"Women and children are separated from the husband and older children, are not free to come and go from their houses and are allowed out only on limited occasions with continual supervision."
There are 85 children in secure facilities in Australia, Nauru and Christmas Island, including some who are unaccompanied minors. Australia is the only country that places children in long term detention, where they can remain for years if their parents are assessed as not being refugees.
Merlin Luck said: "It was very moving to go into the compound with Natasha Stott Despoja and see how empowering it was for the detained people to feel they have a voice, that they had the opportunity to share their stories with a representative of the Australian people."
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