Villawood Detention Centre death early this morning. We have long warned that more deaths would arise. How many more?

ANOTHER DETENTION CENTRE SUICIDE - WE HAVE LONG WARNED. As a PHD reseacher in deaths in custody I am disgusted in the Australian Government and from a criminological perspective. More detention centre deaths will come. A Tamil person lost his life to the abject despair of suicide at Villawood, another victim of the Australian government's harsh attitudes towards our Asylum Seekers. The man committed suicide early Wednesday morning, nearing dawn, 26 October. He took poison and died in hospital.
Related:HRA Media Release from May predicting more suicides -- Refugee Action Coalition Statement on suicide

The man's acute and chronic trauma included being detained for more than two years. After a year in detention it appears there is a threshold by many detainees, and their mental faculties being to erode, with one stressor after another. They break down into various clinical disorders and depressions, acute and abject, mental meltdowns and psychotic episodes, chronic fatigue and paranoia, various social phobias, and a hate of oneself, their very identity a liability.

Though seven months ago his refugee status was finally granted his ASIO security assessment was still taking its sweet time, finally costing him his life. For the racists in this country that's one less refugee they need to concern themselves with.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship refused to release him into community detention which may have saved his life. DIAC recently refused his application to attend a Hindu festival, the day he took his life. The rejection letter arrived he evening prior his suicide.

In terms of the tragic and unnecessary phenomena of detention centre deaths this is the 6th suicide in 13 months, the seventh death in that time, the fourth death at Villawood. Detention Centre deaths have been long warned by myself and others and will continue to rise.

There are near 2,000 Asylum Seekers who have refugee status, however they languish in detention because ASIO security assessments take far too long. This is an appalling and discriminatory predicament with a huge and myriad toll mentally and physically and in human lives.

There are hundreds of Asylum Seekers on Suicide Watch lists in these Detention Centres, however what needs to be done to prevent suicide attempts and suicides is not being done. Those who finally leave detention do so with acute and chronic trauma, multiple trauma, and with a levy of abject and acute stressors and other conditions.

We have endured seven detention centre deaths since September 2010, six of them suicides, mostly of youth - in their prime. Australia is leaving another legacy of abuse, much trauma for the next generation to deal with when this should not have been the predicament.

Australia has one of the world's worst deaths in custody records, prison and police custodial - and the Australian government has now generated, and is responsible for detention centre deaths, and immigration deaths (40 since 2000, from the point of Navy 'interception')... however Australia has contributed its hand in the drowning deaths of the SIEV X, 353 people, 146 children, 142 women, 55 men, and its hand in the Christmas Island disaster, where more than 50 drowned, and in other such disasters, and in the deaths of those on board boats which Australia has turned back. However, soon Australia may own another damaging phenomena, child deaths in Australian adult prisons:

More related media

HRA media release: The frontiers are ugly, violence and deaths on the horizon

Human Rights Alliance media release: Chaos at Christmas Island detention, raids. Suicide threats

HRA media release: Detention centres at crisis point, far too much access being denied

The Age: Warnings of more detention centre deaths

Asylum Seekers will die in greater numbers after release - this from Gerry Georgatos. An important insight.

More deaths to come - news.com.au

Detention centre insiders issue suicide warning

Gerry Georgatos Letter in the Jakarta Past: Fate of asylum seekers in Australia

Four Corners - Asylum

Detainees 'denied hospital visit after talking

We have endured seven detention centre deaths since September 2010, six of them suicides, mostly of youth - in their prime. Australia is leaving another legacy of abuse, much trauma for the next generation to deal with when this should not have been the predicament. Australia has one of the world's worst deaths in custody records, prison and police custodial - and the Australian government has now generated, and is responsible for detention centre deaths, and immigration deaths (40 since 2000, from the point of Navy 'interception')... however Australia has contributed its hand in the drowning deaths of the SIEV X, 353 people, 146 children, 142 women, 55 men, and its hand in the Christmas Island disaster, where more than 50 drowned, and in other such disasters, and in the deaths of those on board boats which Australia has turned back. However, soon Australia may own another damaging phenomena, child deaths in Australian adult prisons:

Gerry Georgatos interview on the drum about Indonesian kids locked up in adult prisons in Australia

Gerry Georgatos
PhD Law Researcher, Australian Deaths in Custody
Convener, Human Rights Alliance
0430 657 309