Media Release: Duty of Care Requires Premier Must Act on Ashley

Duty of Care Requires Premier Must act on Ashley

21 June 2024

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today the shocking allegation of a recent incident of serious abuse at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre has occurred on the watch of the Rockliff government, raising serious duty of care concerns.

“The Premier and his Minister are both now clearly on notice,” Ms Webb said.

“This latest shocking allegation has occurred on the Premier’s watch, and on his Minister’s watch, despite months of warnings from the community sector that children are not safe at Ashley.

“With his Minister exposed as demonstrably unable to get ahead of this crisis, Premier Rockliff has a clear and live duty of care to intervene immediately, and take the necessary action to remove all children from Ashley starting with those on remand.

“Responsibility goes beyond one Minister. There is no good excuse for the government’s failure to accept the community sector’s offers of help, expertise and experience which has been on the table for the last eight months.”

Ms Web said the Legislative Council warned earlier this week that the Government cannot claim it did not know the dangers of Ashley.

“Thanks to the Commission of Inquiry’s work we all now know. To continue to refuse the offers of expert assistance is irrational, negligent and cruel.

“The Premier needs to immediately accept those offers of help, get the requested taskforce up and running and say to those community stakeholders currently on standby – help me get those children out of Ashley in a workable and safe way.

“Anything else is a gross failure of his responsibility and duty of care to those children.”