Two youths have been returned to custody after a fire and alleged staff assault at Ashley Youth Detention Centre this afternoon.
The incident unfolded around 3:15pm when an altercation reportedly broke out at the troubled facility, which was understood to have been operating with reduced staff numbers at the time.
During the disturbance, one youth is understood to have allegedly stolen keys from a staffer, according to the Health and Community Services Union. When another staff member attempted to recover them, they were injured with a suspected broken nose.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education, Children and Young People denied the union’s claims of keys being stolen, describing them as “factually incorrect”.
HACSU’s Robbie Moore claims the facility was down by three staff on Wednesday and usual short staffing protocols were not put in place.
“My understanding is that they did not put in a number of those procedures including limiting where children could go to at that time and it just demonstrates why it’s so important that we have the adequate staffing,” Moore told ABC Radio.
A small fire broke out during the incident but was quickly extinguished by firefighters.
No injuries were reported from the fire itself.
“Two youths are now safely in custody. An active police investigation is underway,” a police spokesperson said.
Police negotiated with the pair who had contained themselves in a section of the facility before they were safely returned to custody a short time ago.
“No other young people or staff are involved,” police said.
The incident comes just one day after workers walked off the job for two hours in protest over safety concerns.
Staff from the Health and Community Services Union and CPSU conducted the strike over what they describe as chronic safety risks and inadequate staffing levels at the facility.
The United Nations recently recommended sweeping changes to the detention centre after raising “serious concerns” about breaches of international human rights conventions.
The UN particularly criticised the solitary confinement of children at the facility.
Police are urging anyone with information about today’s incident to contact them on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
