WA; Staff suffer suspected spinal injuries in detention riot

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2003
WA; Staff suffer suspected spinal injuries in detention riot

By Holly Nott

PERTH, Dec 5 AAP - Two Port Hedland detention centre staff suffered suspected spinal
injuries when struck by pieces of concrete during an overnight riot involving 20 detainees.

A total of four Australasian Correction Management (ACM) staff and one police officer
were injured in the riot that began as a rooftop protest about 3pm (WST).

Jackie Rehmani, whose Afghani husband of six months has been held in the centre for
almost three years, said the detainees were angered when a group of Catholic school girls
were denied access to the centre after travelling about 1,700km.

"They were fairly insulted about being told that the Catholic schoolgirls would be
unsafe in their presence," Mrs Rehmani said.

"There was a bit of an altercation with a guard as they tried to get out of the visiting
yard, ... the guard tried to stop them leaving and called the riot control.

"Then basically they climbed on the roof."

The immigration department said the schoolgirls, from Mandurah Catholic College, south
of Perth, had been informed in November they would not be permitted to visit the centre
because of an imminent change of management.

"The teacher ignored the letter and brought her students ... to Port Hedland," the
department said in a statement.

"It is understood that trouble began at the centre when the detainees were informed
by an outside party that the students had arrived but would not be allowed into the centre."

West Australian Police said 16 officers in riot gear were called to the detention centre
about 6pm (WST) yesterday.

"They were throwing rocks, they had a hose up there and were spraying water and were
also emptying bins and being a nuisance," Port Hedland Police Acting Sergeant Andrew Fisher
said.

Police did not move in until the detainees began attacking ACM's riot control staff, he said.

"Their team got into trouble, they were surrounded at one stage and cut off and quite
a few of their staff were injured," he said.

"The police then came in and restored order."

Sgt Fisher said one officer had a star picket fence post thrown at him, injuring his knee.

Mrs Rehmani said tear gas and cattle prods were used to end the protest -- a claim
denied by police, who said no detainees had been injured during the riot.

"There were altercations with detainees and I know one man, an Iranian guy, was badly
beaten," Mrs Rehmani said.

"Another guy who I know, they used an electric prod on his hand.

"I didn't realise until about 10pm (WST) that things had escalated to the point that
they had, with police coming in and using tear gas."

Comment was being sought from Mandurah Catholic College.

AAP hn/sjb/de

KEYWORD: HEDLAND LEAD

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