This article contains graphic content and references to self-harm.
A ‘box’ is an isolated cell with no toilet, bedding or running water inside Queensland police control centres.
Footage obtained through a joint investigation by SBS The Feed and Guardian Australia shows children being placed in isolation cells, in a state of distress.
Sam was led* in solitary confinement After she was caught throwing toilet paper at a surveillance camera in the surveillance room.
Sam is a 14-year-old First Nations girl from Cairns with severe intellectual disabilities.
Her grandmother says she has the mental capacity of a kindergartener and the language skills of a three-year-old, and has been deemed unfit to stand trial.
The video, obtained after a year-long investigation by SBS The Feed and Guardian Australia, shows Sam, then 13, becoming increasingly distressed after being brought into the penalty area and trying to get out several times.
On the fourth attempt, her arm got stuck in the door and she screamed in pain.
She was later taken to the hospital and placed in shackles on her legs. Police records indicate that they were concerned that her arm was broken.
Two months later Sam was arrested, taken to the observation room and placed back in isolation.
For many years there have been human rights concerns about what happens to children inside Queensland police custody. For the first time, this exclusive footage shows children in extreme distress in isolation cells.
Watch houses are holding cells – often attached to police stations – built to hold adult criminals for short periods, especially when they are drunk or disorderly.
But children, some as young as 11, are held there for long periods, alongside adults.
Police teams targeting exclusively child offenders have been set up to tackle youth crime – such as Queensland’s Taskforce Guardian, which arrested more than 1,400 children in the past year.
The Queensland government retrospectively amended the state’s Human Rights Act last year to allow children to be kept in supervision homes.
Lawyer Catherine Hayes says detention conditions harm children’s chances of rehabilitation.
“We are aware of a number of horrific incidents that have occurred at observation centres across the state.
“Young people being beaten by their cellmates or guards. Men exposing themselves to young girls or young children… When the children come out of the guard room or the detention center at that moment, they are angry; they are traumatized,” she said.
Queensland Youth Justice Minister Dee Farmer said the system had sufficient checks and balances to prevent and address abuse and mistreatment.
“I make no apologies for keeping the community safe.
“So if a young person poses a danger to himself or to society, he will be detained and put in a detention centre or a probation centre because the court has ordered him to be put there.”
Queensland Police declined multiple requests for an interview, but in a statement said when a young person is detained, their physical and mental health is assessed.
Police did not comment on specific cases, but said they were aware of allegations and would investigate.
With a general election just months away, both sides of Queensland’s political spectrum have pledged to take tougher action against youth crime.
Readers seeking support can contact the Lifeline crisis support service on 13 11 14, the Suicide Helpline on 1300 659 467 and the Children’s Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5-25). More information is available at And .
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians can also access crisis support by calling (13 92 76). Additional resources can be found at . You can contact us on 0247 077 989.
