Hundreds of current and former detainees of Western Australia’s only juvenile justice centre will take part in a class action against the state government, alleging they were subjected to forcible strip-searches and prolonged solitary confinement, and that one girl was forced to have a contraceptive implant.
The government has faced harsh criticism over conditions at Banksia Hill detention centre, amid ongoing reports of self-harm and suicide attempts. In July, 17 children were transferred to a special wing, known as Unit 18, of the maximum security Casuarina men’s prison, after cells were destroyed.
