The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of sexual assault among detainees on Nauru and the removal of nine Save the Children staff from the island.
A review by the former integrity commissioner Philip Moss, published last week, found two women had reported being sexually assaulted, while others were forced to expose their bodies in exchange for access to showers.
It found no conclusive evidence that Save the Children staff who were dismissed and removed from the island had been involved in any kind of protest activity.
Hanson-Young said: “There is no accountability or rule of law on Nauru and a full parliamentary inquiry is the only way to reveal the true situation there.
“Clearly the judicial system on Nauru is in crisis,” the senator said.
“Detention centre staff who have worked on Nauru deserve to have the legal protections that come with giving evidence to a parliamentary inquiry. They are the ones with the firsthand knowledge of what’s really going on there and they need to have their say, despite the government’s gag clause.”
The proposed terms of reference for an inquiry include an examination of the relationship between the Australian government and Nauru government, the conditions for asylum seekers on Nauru and the conduct of Australian immigration staff and service providers on the island.
A spokesman for the government of Nauru said it was “deeply concerned” by the findings of the Moss Review, and would co-operate with the Australian government to ensure all 19 recommendations were implemented.
“The Nauru government strongly condemns sexual assault, violence and any form of intimidation, particularly against those who are vulnerable. We set out to implement world’s best practice at the RPCs [regional processing centres] and believe that this is the case, notwithstanding that one breach of trust is one too many. We have also acted decisively and changed some procedures in the past, when shortcomings were brought to our attention.”
The Nauru government has consistently argued problems of Nauru have been exaggerated by refugees and advocates seeking to damage the country’s reputation and Australia’s offshore processing policy.
“Finally, this report should not be used by refugees or advocacy groups to further their campaign of lies and aggression,” the government spokesman said. “Overall, the government and people of Nauru have extended a warm welcome to asylum seekers and have assisted many to transition to free refugee status. Sadly some have abused our friendship and some groups in Australia continue to spread misinformation about refugees in Nauru.”
There have been a number of instances of antagonism and violence between refugees and Nauruans in recent weeks.
Refugees have been told by the director of Nauru police they cannot protest or gather in groups larger than three, and have been forbidden from going to several places on the island, including the hospital, schools, parliament, the airport, harbours and ports.
The former Nauru magistrate Peter Law, who appeared with Hanson-Young at a press conference later on Tuesday, said he had serious concerns about the Nauru government and its commitment to enforcing the Moss review’s recommendations.
When you get to people who are arbitrarily deported, it’s an abuse of power and I cannot be confident that the cabinet when it makes decisions forthrightly, that it will carry out decisions in an independent manner and in an accountable way,” he said. “This is what’s missing. There’s a lack of accountability.”
Moss was paid $200,000 by the immigration department for the review. An Austender contract notice for Moss’s review was paid the fee for “management advisory services” at the Nauru detention facility.
Labor and the Greens previously secured a Senate inquiry into the unrest on Manus Island after questions were raised about the independence of Robert Cornall, who was appointed to investigate those disturbances.
No such concerns have been raised about the Moss review, but Hanson-Young said it “raised as many questions as it answered”.
A parliamentary inquiry would need the support of Labor. A spokesman for the opposition immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, told Fairfax Media Labor was “definitely open to considering a review”.
