Three 16-year-olds have assaulted a guard and escaped the Alice Springs juvenile detention centre, Northern Territory police have said. It is the 35th escape from NT custody since July 2014.
Anton Wilson, Bennett Briscoe and Liam Ryan escaped the centre just before 11pm on Thursday, acting superintendent Neil Hayes said.
“A guard was assaulted and injured, and keys were taken before the group escaped the facility,” Hayes said.
“The public are warned not approach these youths. Instead, if anyone has any information regarding their whereabouts, please contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
Police, including extra units, were patrolling the area on Friday. The injured youth justice officer was taken to hospital to receive treatment for facial injuries, the Department of Correctional Services said.
The Northern Territory justice system has been plagued with incidents and controversies – particularly in the juvenile section.
Thursday’s escape is the sixth since July of this year, including three from Alice Springs youth detention.
There were 29 escapes from correctional facilities and work camps in 2014-15, according to the corrections department’s annual report, including 17 from youth detention.
Last month an adult prisoner escaped after he abandoned the bus he was driving to transport other prisoners to work programs in Darwin, the NT News reported.
The following day another prisoner walked away from a work party in Alice Springs.
Both men were arrested.
The juvenile justice system has had several alleged riots, accusations of assault both on and by staff and detainees, and more than a dozen escapes in the past 18 months.
Critics have accused the government and corrections department of being overly punitive with detainees, and failing to address the drivers of crime, as well as housing offenders in inappropriate facilities with undertrained staff.
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