"The ratification of OPCAT is happening, there are steps we can take right now around exposing and bringing the focus and the attention of these incidences of the mistreatment of children. We don’t need to wait until the protocol is ratified." -Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO recently delivered a talk at the 2017 Castan Centre Human Rights Law Conference calling for an end to structural racism and violation of Children's rights.
Her intervention at the event covered different topics including constitutional recognition, current human rights issues affecting Australia and First Nations peoples with a focus on structural racism and children.
June Oscar says that structural racism impacts peoples lived realities at all levels whether it is in a rural, remote or urban setting. Violations of children's rights include, sexual, physical, racial and emotional abuse.
"If people are talking about how, big changes at a national level make a difference on the ground for the children playing on the dirt, coming from a community, coming from working as a community and social development worker. Changes of policies at a national level do make or break people at the very community and ground level," she said.
Amnesty international are calling for a federal monitoring system on the the treatment of children in custody after allegations of more Indigenous children around the country, most recently in Bimberi Youth Detention Centre in Canberra and Banksia Hill in Western Australia.
Commissioner Oscar says we shouldn't have to wait until the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) to put an end to this.
"Those who mistreat children in these centres should be removed from their roles working with children, It is totally unacceptable and it needs to be called out. It needs to be exposed and the perpetrators of violence against children when they are in these rehabilitative centres need to be identified and be removed from their roles of coming into contact and working with children," she says.
