MEJ’s Kirsten Nasser featured in The Guardian on allegations of abuse in ACT youth detention
MEJ Associate Kirsten Nasser has been featured in Guardian Australia’s investigation into allegations of historical sexual abuse at Canberra’s former Quamby and Bimberi youth detention centres.
The investigation by journalist Sarah Collard shares the accounts of former detainees who allege they experienced sexual abuse and assault while in detention. It also examines concerns about institutional safeguards, the handling of complaints, and the lengthy road survivors face when pursuing civil compensation claims.
Kirsten specialises in institutional abuse claims and represents clients who allege they were mistreated or abused while in ACT youth detention. She told The Guardian that delays in obtaining important personal records have significantly affected the progress of civil proceedings, adding another layer of difficulty for people who have already been through a great deal.
These cases are rarely straightforward, particularly when the events occurred many years ago, and survivors are working to access records that should never have been hard to reach.
The investigation is a reminder of why it matters to take survivors’ experiences seriously, and of the lasting impact that institutional abuse can have on a person’s life.
Read the full investigation
Read Sarah Collard’s reporting in Guardian Australia: ‘He’d take boys down to the chicken shed’: survivors share harrowing allegations of rape in Canberra youth detention.
Content warning: The Guardian article discusses allegations of child sexual abuse and self-harm.