During lunchtime at the Reiby Youth Justice Centre in south-western Sydney, a group of girls was seated at a table, laughing and joking. A male officer approached the table and allegedly instructed one of them to leave, but an 18-year-old girl refused. The officer then allegedly grabbed her by the arm and neck, throwing her across the room. She fell face-first onto the floor, where multiple officers restrained and handcuffed her. They then forcibly moved her to another room.
The incident occurred in July 2018. Initially sought access to the footage in 2022, but for three years, a NSW government department fought to keep it confidential. However, after a lengthy legal battle, the Department of Communities and Justice was ordered to release the footage.
Now 25 years old, the woman in the video is speaking out for the first time. She explained that she didn’t realize the extent of the aggression until she saw the footage. “It was very belittling, it just kind of feels like you’re a piece of trash being thrown to the ground,” she said.
She requested anonymity as she committed her crimes as a child and is rebuilding her life, but she wants to hold people accountable and improve conditions in youth detention. The incident left her with significant bruising and an injury to her arm. After being moved to another room, she complained of difficulty breathing. “I remember screaming that I couldn’t breathe and that I needed my asthma puffer,” she recalled.
Her lawyer, Peter O’Brien, called the rough treatment unacceptable. “A child saying she can’t breathe, it’s very, very troubling,” he said. The trauma from the incident has made her recovery more challenging. “I still have flashbacks,” she added. “I’ve lost a lot of trust. These people were meant to look after us and keep us safe.”
The woman later sued the NSW government and reached a confidential settlement. National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds was shocked by the footage, noting that while the context leading up to the incident was unclear, the officer’s actions appeared disproportionate. She questioned why the officer was allowed to continue working in the system after such behavior. Ms. Hollonds called for an independent inquiry into this and other harmful practices in youth detention centers.
The incident took place during the woman’s third time at Reiby for crimes committed as a 17-year-old, crimes she now deeply regrets. Medical records show she had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, ADHD, PTSD symptoms, and a long history of self-harm. She had previously been warned about her behavior, including speaking disrespectfully to staff and failing to follow clear instructions.
Since her release seven years ago, the woman has not returned to custody, instead undergoing extensive private mental health treatment. She is now running a business and expecting a baby with her fiancé.
In 2024, an independent report by the Inspector of Custodial Services revealed over 4,300 instances where staff used force in youth centers between 2019 and 2022. At Reiby, 204 use-of-force incidents were recorded between May 2021 and April 2022, a reduction from 465 in the previous four years. The report flagged concerns about the quality of incident reports at Reiby, where force was used even when young people appeared compliant.
The mistreatment of young people in juvenile justice facilities had already gained attention in the wake of a 2016 Four Corners program that exposed abusive practices at the Northern Territory’s Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, leading to a royal commission. O’Brien believes excessive force and coercive measures are a “perennial problem.”
Troy Wright, Acting General Secretary of the Public Service Association, noted that staff at youth centers frequently reported a need for more training. “All youth officers are trained to use force to protect other young people at the center and themselves,” he explained. “Unfortunately, these teams only have a presence at the two largest centers, and not the others.”
The young woman was also subjected to long periods of segregation inside Reiby, where she was kept alone in her room or in a segregation unit, denied access to school under various Detainee Risk Management Plans (DRMPs). These plans were meant to keep her safe and manage her behavior but were instead used as punishment. She described the experience as dehumanizing, saying, “It’s very inhumane for anyone to be in a room with no windows, no doors, just four brick walls and a toilet.”
She was also subjected to strip searches whenever officers suspected she was hiding something. The NSW Inspector of Custodial Services reported 588 episodes of segregation at Reiby between May 2021 and April 2022. Fifteen young people spent almost 4,000 hours in segregation, some with complex mental health issues. The inspector noted that staff often used confinement to punish misbehavior rather than address the detainees’ needs.
In August, Ms. Hollonds called for a significant overhaul of youth justice, urging national leadership from the Albanese Government. Her report, Help Way Earlier, advocated for a national task force to drive reform, the creation of a national minister for children, and a ban on solitary confinement in youth detention. “How does putting a child in solitary confinement when they’re depressed and suicidal help them?” she asked.
The legal battle over the footage stretched on for three years. In February, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ruled that the Department of Communities and Justice must release the CCTV footage due to its public interest. The department had argued that releasing the footage could jeopardize the center’s security and endanger staff safety but was overruled by the tribunal, which emphasized the importance of exposing a child’s risk.
The officer involved in the incident remained employed after a misconduct investigation, but the disciplinary action taken was minimal. The officer was penalized $500 and placed on six-month monitoring. Mr. O’Brien expressed disbelief at the lack of serious action. “It really beggars belief that they should remain on staff,” he said.
The young woman has called for an inquiry, saying, “I think they have some explaining to do.” The Department of Communities and Justice acknowledged the officer’s unacceptable conduct and stated that he had been disciplined, though no charges were filed. Youth Justice Minister Jihad Dib stated that the incident was unacceptable and that staff should work to ensure the safety and security of young people in their care.
