Large sum of money awarded to young men who were detained at a problematic youth detention center.

A group of men who had been held at a notoriously troubled youth detention centre will receive a $75 million payout, as confirmed by Justice Stephen Estcourt in the Supreme Court today. This settlement comes as a result of a class action filed by 129 men who claim to have been abused while detained at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania, near Launceston, between 1960 and 2023.

According to the detainees' legal claim, they were subjected to strip searches, isolation, and beatings as forms of punishment. They also allege that the staff encouraged them to attack each other. Lawyer Angela Sdrinis, whose firm filed the proceedings, stated that this outcome is a result of years of neglecting reviews and recommendations by the state government. She added, "Today, the state is paying the price for these failings."

Sdrinis also acknowledged that while the settlement cannot erase the trauma of child abuse, it is a step towards healing for these men and women who endured such experiences while detained at the AYDC. Plaintiff Ricky Brown, one of the members of the class action, expressed the difficulty of revisiting old traumas during the process. He said, "Out of all the sadness and suffering, we are finally being recognized today. It took 40 years, but I have gained strength through this."

The settlement includes funds for financial counseling, financial advice, and trauma counseling for all members of the class. Additionally, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff will be issuing a letter of apology to each settlement member. This comes after a state inquiry into child sexual abuse in government institutions listed the Ashley Youth Detention Centre as a "live" risk to children in its final report released in September. The report recommended the closure of the centre by July 2026.

Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff welcomed the approval of the settlement and pointed out the failure of successive governments to protect children at Ashley. She stated, "Unlike other similar cases of institutional abuse, this result isn't just about the past - it's about the present too." The party is calling on the state government to take immediate action and close the centre once and for all, as there is still a risk of abuse occurring and frequent violations of children's human rights at the facility.

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