Steven Miles said a magistrate’s decision to release children locked in Townsville watch house was ‘a media stunt’
Damian Bartholomew, a solicitor for the Youth Advocacy Centre, said members of the judiciary had shown increasing concern about the conditions in watch houses.
“Over the last few weeks, many magistrates and judges have said to me the number of young people being held on remand is unacceptable, but that the judiciary have the discretion if a facility is not suitable for children they can grant them bail,” he said. The state’s police minister, Mark Ryan, said the service would be appealing “at least some” of the bail decisions to the Queensland supreme court“If … the exclusive reason bail was granted is because of capacity, I would suggest that is an unlawful reason,” Ryan said.
Ryan said he expected the supreme court would “do its job, follow the law, and ensure that community safety is prioritised”. Earlier this week a children’s court magistrate in Mt Isa granted bail to a girl, citing as a concern the likelihood she could end up in a police watch house for an “extended” period. The magistrate, Eoin Mac Giolla Ri, had said in a separate case that housing children in watch houses exposed them toThe Queensland police service on Tuesday revealed more than 25 children had spent more than three weeks in watch houses so far this year.
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