A 19-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker has attempted suicide in the MITA North compound of the Melbourne detention centre.
He was found by Ali, another detainee, hanging behind the locked door of his room, around 5.30pm. It is believed he is being treated at the medical centre in MITA.
The compound has now been locked down.
Other detainees have told the Refugee Action Coalition, that the man had told medical officers this morning that he wanted to kill himself. But nothing was done.
“Once again, Serco’s indifference to their duty of care has put a life at risk,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
The attempted suicide in MITA comes less than a month since Musa, a refugee from Sierra Leone, committed suicide in Villawood detention, despite being on high watch after being released from a Sydney mental health facility a few days before.
“The 501 protest in MITA and Yongah Hill is still waiting for answers to their demands – about indefinite detention, lack of process, and family separation,” said Rintoul, “They should be released.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
