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sexta-feira, 15 de novembro de 2013

Serco guard on Christmas Island fired for sex with asylum-seeker


World news and comment from the Guardian | theguardian.com

Serco guard on Christmas Island fired for sex with asylum-seeker

Company that runs Australian immigration detention centre says ban on such relationships has been emphasised to other staff

Staff at Australia's immigration detention centres have undergone retraining after a guard provided by the private company Serco was sacked for having a sexual relationship with a detainee.

Serco, the British contractor that manages the Christmas Island centre, confirmed that a male employee was dismissed in October following an investigation.

"We take a zero tolerance approach to inappropriate relationships and any sexual contact is completely unacceptable," said Serco spokesman Paul Shaw.

The matter had been reported to police and the immigration department, Serco said.

A spokesman for Scott Morrison, the immigration minister, told ABC TV the conduct was "appalling and completely unacceptable" and that the department would seek further information from Serco.

The company revealed that three other Christmas Island staff, members of an emergency response team, were reassigned after breaking protocol by drinking alcohol.

"During the periods when they are not at work but on call, they must remain ready for duty at all times," Shaw said. "This means that they are not permitted to consume any alcohol."

News of dissent among staff at the Christmas Island facility comes as the Australian government faces criticism for operations in its detention centre network, including the separation of an asylum-seeker woman and her newborn baby.

The refugee advocate Pamela Curr condemned the latest misconduct. "A sexual relationship between a guard and a detainee is like a relationship between a student and a teacher, between a doctor and a patient. The power relationship is such an imbalance it can never be acceptable, it is exploitative," she told the ABC.

Serco said it had addressed the problems. "After our investigation concluded in this matter, we held formal refresher training sessions for our staff across the immigration detention network, reinforcing the importance of professional boundaries and respect for the people in our care," Shaw said.


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