Exposing the abuses of Don Dale
PROJECT | First Nations Justice
The Human Rights Law Centre worked with Aboriginal partner organisations to expose human rights abuses in youth prisons.
Within moments of seeing the haunting image of teenager Dylan Voller being hooded and strapped to a barbaric restraint chair in the Don Dale prison, the nation erupted in disbelief.
The public rightly demanded to know how scenes that belonged in a horror-show had made their way into a contemporary youth justice system. How children could be left to languish in solitary confinement and how the abuses in Don Dale went unchecked for so long. The subsequent Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory provided many of the answers.
The Human Rights Law Centre worked hard with other lawyers and journalists to expose a system rotten to its core. We engaged deeply with the resulting Royal Commission, ensuring the findings reflect best practice human rights standards. When the Royal Commission delivered its report, we used media advocacy to apply pressure on the Northern Territory Government to implement every recommendation.
The Human Rights Law Centre continues to engage with governments across Australia to prevent what happened at Don Dale from occurring again.
“The children who suffered in Don Dale, the children who have been abused in youth jails across Australia, deserve to know that our governments will listen to their calls and take action.”
Acknowledgement of Country
The Human Rights Law Centre acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia, including the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Cammeraygal, Darug, Wadawurrung, Turrbal and Jagera people where we work from.
We pay our respect to Elders past and present. This land always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
WARNING: This site contains images or names of people who have passed away.