The guard promised to protect Aaron. Instead, he allegedly raped the frightened 12-year-old
News Source
β’Sun, 18 Oct 2026 14:00:03 GMT
π° What Happened
A man known as Aaron says he was sexually abused as a 12-year-old inside a youth detention centre in Perth. He says a guard promised to protect him from being bashed by other boys. Instead, he says, the guard abused him twice at the now-closed Rangeview centre in the early 2000s.
Aaron is now in his 30s and serving time in an adult prison. He is preparing to sue the Western Australian government. His lawyer says the state failed in its duty of care and that Aaron suffered physical and mental harm.
He also says he was assaulted at Banksia Hill detention centre in 2005. That claim is not part of the case because his lawyers could not get the records they needed.
π The Backstory
Guardian Australia spent five months looking into abuse claims inside youth detention. Law firms are gathering cases from former detainees who say the state failed to protect them. Many claims date from 1986 to 2016.
A class action for former Banksia Hill detainees has more than 100 members. In Western Australia, 22 claims involve alleged sexual abuse in youth detention, and nine of those come from First Nations people.
In South Australia, police charged a 73-year-old man last month over historical abuse linked to the old Magill detention centre. The WA Justice Department says it takes abuse claims seriously but would not comment on Aaron's case.
π― Why It Matters
Children held in detention cannot protect themselves. These cases ask whether the state must pay when the adults paid to guard them cause lasting harm.
A man known as Aaron says he was sexually abused as a 12-year-old inside a youth detention centre in Perth. He says a guard promised to protect him from being bashed by other boys. Instead, he says, the guard abused him twice at the now-closed Rangeview centre in the early 2000s.
Aaron is now in his 30s and serving time in an adult prison. He is preparing to sue the Western Australian government. His lawyer says the state failed in its duty of care and that Aaron suffered physical and mental harm.
He also says he was assaulted at Banksia Hill detention centre in 2005. That claim is not part of the case because his lawyers could not get the records they needed.
Guardian Australia spent five months looking into abuse claims inside youth detention. Law firms are gathering cases from former detainees who say the state failed to protect them. Many claims date from 1986 to 2016.
A class action for former Banksia Hill detainees has more than 100 members. In Western Australia, 22 claims involve alleged sexual abuse in youth detention, and nine of those come from First Nations people.
In South Australia, police charged a 73-year-old man last month over historical abuse linked to the old Magill detention centre. The WA Justice Department says it takes abuse claims seriously but would not comment on Aaron's case.
Children held in detention cannot protect themselves. These cases ask whether the state must pay when the adults paid to guard them cause lasting harm.