Response to Media Reports into Manus Island Incident
6 May 2014
The Salvation Army acknowledges the serious allegations made by former employees to the Senate inquiry into the incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre. The Salvation Army will also be making a submission to this inquiry in due course.
The Salvation Army’s duty of care to asylum seekers meant that any concerns about conditions, suspected abuse, treatment or mistreatment were to be immediately reported and/or raised with senior management by its staff. All such matters were appropriately reported and acted on by Salvation Army personnel.
The Salvation Army had various mechanisms in place to record and report any concerns of suspected abuse or mistreatment. All such matters were appropriately reported and acted on by Salvation Army personnel.
It is our firm belief that no Salvation Army or medical personnel would have been dismissive of transferee abuse at the hands of security personnel. Salvation Army workers were passionate about transferee welfare at all times and acted consistent with the protection of their welfare.
The Salvation Army notes that in a previous independent review conducted at the request of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection into the relevant allegations of abuse, the independent reviewer did not make any relevant criticisms of The Salvation Army.
A pdf version of this statement is available by clicking here.