A 17-year-old boy was detained in a remote Queensland police station for 11 days, while more than 40 other children are being held for undetermined periods in police custody because there is no room in the state’s youth detention system.
After 11 days in police custody at the Mount Isa watch house, the boy faced court on Tuesday and was released on a community-based order.
The Queensland Department of Child Safety has confirmed on Tuesday there were 41 young people in the Brisbane police watch house, which has a dedicated children’s wing designed to hold only 21 people.
Amnesty International said the state of Queensland youth detention was “creeping towards a human rights crisis”.