‘Where’s the outcry about this?’: Neil Mitchell slams state government for failure to stop youth justice worker attacks
Neil Mitchell has slammed the state government for its failure to fix escalating violence in the youth justice system.
Yesterday, a 40-year-old worker at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre was stabbed in the neck with a weapon fashioned from a broom.
The man, a member of the Correctional Emergency Response Team who only began the job two weeks ago, was hospitalised after the incident.
Last week, 3AW Mornings confirmed three staff were attacked at Malmsbury in just two days.
“On Monday, two staff injured, one with possibly a broken nose, we’re told,” Neil Mitchell said.
“This happened after a juvenile prisoner didn’t get the lunch that he wanted.
“Tuesday, another staff member had their forehead cut open.
“You can only imagine how youth justice workers are feeling.
“Where is the outcry about this? There are staff going in regularly, being assaulted and bashed, just doing their work!
“I’m told, according to my sources, in the last three weeks 12 staff have been assaulted, one so badly he may have lost up to 70 per cent of his vision.
“He may never drive again, he may never work again.”
Neil Mitchell criticised the government for failing to stop escalating violence.
“There is a massive problem there and it’s been just getting worse, and worse and worse, with not enough action around it.
“I know it’s difficult … but they don’t seem fair dinkum in fixing it.”
Caller Betty said she has a family member who works at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre, and she has begged her to quit.
“I’m very concerned about her,” she said.
“She says that someone is going to leave in a body bag soon.”
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