Nauru camp sex film claim believable- advocate

Transcript

A refugee advocate says the latest allegation of Nauru detention centre guards filming sex with refugees, shows the centre has been a complete mess of sexual and physical abuse.

Australian media have reported a submission made by a former Save the Children case manager, Charlotte Wilson, alleges guards paid for sex with female refugees, filmed it, and circulated the videos.

The report was submitted to a Senate inquiry, which was launched following the release of the Moss Review, which detailed allegations of physical and sexual assault of asylum seekers by guards and staff.

Ian Rintoul, with the Refugee Action Coalition, says tragically the latest allegations are entirely believable.

IAN RINTOUL: Yeah look its beyond absolutely beyond doubt that the Nauru detention centre has just been a complete mess of sexual and physical abuse. And what is absolutely shameful is just for how long the minister for immigration in Australia new about those allegations and did absolutely nothing about it and is till doing absolutely nothing about it.

LEILANI MOMOISEA: Allegations of sexual abuse aren't new but from as far as I can tell it is the first time we have heard about these being filmed and distributed?

IR: Yes I haven't come across those specific allegations before but tragically they are entirely believable. The systematic, systemic harassment that took place at the showers as a requirement for extra time in the showers or for women to expose their bodies to Nauruan guards I mean it doesn't take much of an extension beyond that which is now being established beyond doubt that some of those incidents may well have been recorded and are being transferred from person to person on Nauru.

LM: This has been coming out in the senate inquiry but would you be hoping that there is some action taken you know before the inquiry is over?  

IR: Well there should be of course, as I said it is simply beyond doubt about the nature of the incidents and the number of the incidents and a number of them now are very well established with evidence given by key witnesses, by the people themselves, there are other witnesses that are in Darwin detention at the moment that can corroborate you know particular incidents but as I said we have got a complete lack of political will in Australia. The previous minister Scott Morrison had, though the allegations and the evidence had been put before him seventeen months before the Moss Inquiry. The Moss Inquiry I think the minister was hoping that, that would find that there was no evidence. It confirmed that there was evidence and provided even extra information for the minister. And that was you know late last year, we are now into the middle of 2015 and there is still no sign of anything happening and there is a complete lack of political will in the Australian government and in the Nauru government. I mean the number of incidents that have been put before the Nauruan police the Nauruan police have taken absolutely no interest whatsoever in pursuing the allegations.