Thursday, 5 October 2023

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): (289) My question is for the Minister for Youth Justice. Minister, on Tuesday evening, before the riot had concluded at Malmsbury, your department clearly stated to inquiries made by the media that the incident was over and that there were no injuries. In fact, given that there were multiple clients and staff injured, including trauma as a result of being held hostage, why did you and your department hide the facts surrounding the extreme level of violence that occurred?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:01): I thank Mr Davis for his question and his interest in this matter. As I stated yesterday, our department was very forthright and we reported these incidents as we do in the usual way, through public reporting, before there were any inquiries. The department was being very up-front. Again, our system is designed to protect the community, and that is our paramount duty, but also the staff and those young people in our custodial settings. I stated on the record yesterday and I will state again: it is my understanding that no staff were physically injured, but staff are being provided, on an ongoing basis, with mental health clinicians. There will be debriefs throughout the days, and that support will be provided to staff. But there were no staff members that required medical attention on the day.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:01): My understanding is somewhat different. I therefore ask the minister: can he update the Parliament on the condition of those who were injured, and is it a fact that one young person’s injuries are so extreme he was deemed unrecognisable and may endure lifelong suffering from the vicious assault?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:02): I thank Mr Davis for his supplementary question and his interest in this matter. Again, our department – I have read the reports – is pretty up-front about the fact that, although no staff were physically injured, there were some young people that were treated in hospital. Again I have got to be very careful about what I say, because there are confidentiality provisions and there are privacy laws about people’s health, but what I can confirm is that one of the young people returned to Malmsbury. There are still two young people receiving treatment.