Reiby Youth Justice: A 14-year-old, handcuffed, held down by four adults, hooded, and struck in the face.
That’s what a New South Wales court has been told happened inside Reiby Youth Justice Centre. Here, children in custody are meant to be protected, not brutalised. Startling CCTV footage presented in court this week has thrown Australia’s youth justice system under intense scrutiny. As advocates for civil and human rights, we believe these incidents demand urgent legal and systemic reckoning.
What happened in Reiby Youth Justice Centre?
At lunchtime inside Reiby Youth Justice Centre in 2018, a teenage girl refused to follow an officer’s order. Moments later, she was thrown across a room, pinned face-down by multiple guards, and handcuffed.
Seven years on, the young woman is speaking out, after winning a legal battle that forced the release of CCTV footage the NSW government fought for years to suppress. The footage shows, in the words of her solicitor Peter O’Brien, is deeply troubling.
A violent restraint, and its human cost
The 18-year-old, now 25, recalls the moment vividly:
“I remember screaming that I couldn’t breathe and that I needed my asthma puffer.”
Then, the CCTV footage shows her being grabbed by the arm and neck, thrown to the ground, and restrained by multiple officers. She was then forcibly moved to another room. What followed was physical and psychological trauma:
- Extensive bruising and an arm injury
- Ongoing flashbacks and loss of trust in authority
- Segregation and strip searches, often under “risk management” plans
She describes her experience as dehumanising:
“It just kind of feels like you’re a piece of trash that’s being thrown at the ground.”
Peter O’Brien, Civil Solicitor, weighs in on the Reiby Youth Justice case
Representing the woman in civil proceedings against the NSW Government, our Principal Solicitor, Peter O’Brien, said the rough treatment she endured was unacceptable:
“A child saying she can’t breathe, it’s very, very troubling in the context of all we know about that expression.”
The woman’s lawsuit resulted in a confidential settlement. However, serious concerns remain about how youth justice staff were held to account, and whether real reform has followed.
Officer remained on staff in Reiby Youth Justice Centre
In 2022, a senior youth justice official apologised in writing for the “assault you suffered.” Yet under cross-examination, that same official confirmed the male officer responsible remained employed, albeit in a casual role still involving contact with detainees.
Despite the officer’s actions being found to breach law and policy, the penalty was limited to a $500 fine and six months of monitoring.
As Mr O’Brien remarked:
“It really beggars belief that they should remain on staff.”
Segregation, self-harm, and psychiatric distress in youth detention
This incident wasn’t an isolated outburst. It was part of a wider pattern of segregation and isolation inside Reiby, often used under Detainee Risk Management Plans (DRMPs) intended to protect detainees, not punish them.
The young woman, who had been diagnosed with multiple mental health disorders, said solitary confinement worsened her distress and self-harming behaviour.
“It’s very inhumane for anyone to be in a room with no windows, no doors, just four brick walls and a toilet.”
A 2022 inspection found 588 episodes of segregation at Reiby in just one year, affecting 15 young people for nearly 4,000 hours in total, many with serious psychiatric needs.
Use of Force in Reiby Youth Justice Centre and Across The System
An independent review revealed more than 4,300 uses of force across six NSW youth detention centres between 2019 and 2022. Reiby alone recorded 204 incidents in one year, down from 465 four years earlier, but still significant.
Inspectors noted that force was often used even when young people appeared compliant, and that report writing about force “needed attention.”
This case also follows serious misconduct allegations at Reiby, including sexual offences by former staff and claims of excessive strip searches.
Calls for inquiry and urgent reform
The footage has prompted fresh calls for accountability:
- National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds described the incident as potentially a “very serious assault.”
- NSW Shadow Youth Justice Minister Aileen MacDonald is pushing for an inquiry.
- Ms Hollonds’ Help Way Earlier report urged a complete overhaul of the youth justice system, including banning solitary confinement and creating a national children’s minister.
“How does putting that kid in solitary confinement when they’re depressed and suicidal help them?” Hollonds asked.
Need a Civil Solicitor for abuse in detention?
Following the Reiby Youth Justice Centre case, it is clear that the law must do more than acknowledge harm, it must prevent it.
When systems fail the most vulnerable, we will continue to pursue justice relentlessly. If you or someone you know has experienced mistreatment in detention, our civil litigation team can help. Contact us for confidential advice.
Sydney Office Address: Level 4, 219–223 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Call: 02 9261 4281.
Email:
Website: obriensolicitors.com.au
