Fresh claims of violence, abuse in youth detention

The troubled Banksia Hill youth detention centre is facing fresh scrutiny amid allegations a girl was sexually harassed by custodial officers. Detainees at Banksia Hill and Casuarina Prison’s Unit 18 youth facility claim they have been subjected to excessive use of force, ongoing lockdowns, forced to sleep in wet clothes or bedding and wear clothing stained in other people’s blood.

The allegations are highlighted in dozens of complaint letters written on behalf of the detainees by the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia.