UNITING CHURCH SAYS THE
ABUSE MUST END NOW
Leaders of the
Uniting Church in Australia are calling on the Government to immediately release
children and their families from detention and implement all the recommendations
of the report from the Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Children in
Detention.
"Today's report
from the Inquiry into Children in Detention confirms what we have always known",
said Rev Dr Dean Drayton, President of the Uniting Church in Australia. "The
Government's policies in this area have lacked compassion and perpetrate abuse
upon the most vulnerable of people. This is not the Australia that we
want."
Rev. Elenie Poulos,
National Director of UnitingJustice said, "Instead of caring for children as
precious individuals, we have robbed them of their childhood and stripped them
of hope. Jesus would weep."
The Uniting Church
has been calling for an end to the Government's inhumane detention policy for
many years. We have seen how it destroys the lives of both children and adults.
The report confirms that we have breached our international obligations but we
have also breached our moral obligations to care and protect people in
need."
Rev Drayton said,
"We must immediately release all children and their families from detention and
change our policies to ensure that no more children are ever subjected to such
harm in our name."
MEDIA INFORMATION
CONTACT:
Rev. Elenie Poulos
0417.431.853
Rev. Dr Drayton is also available for
comment
Rev. Elenie Poulos
National Director
UnitingJustice Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
p 02.8267.4239
w http://nat.uca.org.au/unitingjustice/
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uca_release_hreoc_childrendetention_report_130504.doc
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