21 Jul 2015

No charges from 67 abuse allegations in Nauru camp

6:38 am on 21 July 2015

An Australian Senate inquiry has been told not a single staff member accused of abusing an asylum seeker at Nauru has been charged for an offence and that the centre's operator cannot guarantee the safety of the detainees.

Refugees protest on Nauru against offshore processing in defiance of a new law requiring 7 days notice of a protest.

Refugees on Nauru protesting on 7 April 2015 at Anibare camp against offshore processing in defiance of a new law that requires protesters to give seven days notice of any protest and gives the police commissioner sole power to allow a protest, or not. Photo: Supplied by Refugee Action Coalition

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that on-the-job staff drug testing is not conducted at Nauru, despite allegations of guards trading marijuana for sexual favours.

Transfield Services, which runs the detention camps at Nauru, says there have been 67 child abuse allegations at the facility.

A Transfield manager, Erin O'Sullivan, said of the 67 allegations, 12 were referred to police, but she is not aware of any of them being charged over any allegation.