Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a Royal Commission into juvenile detention in the Northern Territory.
The announcement follows shocking footage aired on the ABC last night showing young boys being stripped naked, tear-gassed and held in solitary confinement for days in NT jails.
The Four Corners episode included footage of a 17-year-old boy hooded, shackled to a “mechanical device” chair and left alone for two hours.
Mr Turnbull spoke with NT Chief Minister Adam Giles this morning about setting up the inquiry.
It will be established as soon as possible, Mr Turnbull told ABC radio.
“We will get to the bottom of this swiftly and we will identify the lessons that need to be learned,” Mr Turnbull said.
“We have here a very troubling state of affairs where clearly there has been mistreatment of young people.”
The government was yet to choose a commissioner but the prime minister said it was likely to be a retired judge.
