The Northern Territory children's commissioner has criticised the level of communication around the two-week youth curfew in Alice Springs, saying there is a "real likelihood" children could be punished because they are unaware of the rules.
On Friday the ABC spoke to more than 20 residents living in Mpwetyerre (Abbott's) town camp, located within the curfew zone.
Almost all said they were unaware there was a youth curfew in place in Alice Springs.
None of the residents wanted to speak on the record.
A 14-day youth curfew for Alice Springs was announced on Wednesday, as part of an emergency declaration by the NT government after a series of violent incidents across the town.
But NT Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk told the ABC the parameters around the curfew were unclear, leaving children and their families in Alice Springs unaware of what they were and were not allowed to do.
"I'm hearing from stakeholders on the ground in Alice Springs … and they're saying that children just really don't know what this means, and what would be lawful activities that they could engage with," she said.
Ms Musk said it was also unclear what constituted a "safe place" where children would be taken if they were in the CBD after curfew.
Ms Musk has called on the NT government for more information about the curfew rules to the broader Alice Springs community.
She said that information needed to be delivered "in an accessible and relevant way that's going to reach each and every child and young person out there" — including in language where needed.
"There's a desperate need for government to communicate in writing, but also in mediums — whether it's on social media, in SMS — to the Alice Springs public what this actually is. So not to be in what place, during what time, for what reasons, and where the exceptions lie, so that people can make informed choices," she said.
"I worry that children — who through no fault of their own are unaware that the law has changed effectively overnight — are walking the streets at night, and then get accosted by police.
"What happens if they push back or refuse to go? And that's a very real likelihood."
Loading...The government has said that under the curfew, anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed to enter a declared "high risk" area of the Alice Springs CBD between 6pm and 6am, every night, for two weeks.
If they are in the area, police and staff from Territory Families and the education department will engage with them to determine if they have a "lawful purpose" — and without one, they will be taken home or to another "safe place".
Ms Musk said she was deeply concerned about the impact the curfew could have on vulnerable children in Alice Springs, particularly Aboriginal children.
"Many of these children come from experiences of disadvantage, are living in overcrowded [conditions] or could be homeless, [and] many children are grappling with family violence and unmet disability, mental health and trauma needs," she said.
"So I'm really worried about the criminalisation of vulnerable children here, as a result of this declaration."
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said about 10 Aboriginal liaison officers part of the agency were in the process of circulating through Alice Springs and talking to community members to inform them of the new rules.
That included the distribution of a fact sheet which was already available online, he said, and included translations into the most frequently spoken Aboriginal languages in Alice Springs.
"Our Aboriginal liaison officers … know the community, they are incredibly influential and really good communicators, so they're taking the message out for us, to make sure people understand what we're doing and what we're trying to achieve."
Commissioner Murphy acknowledged it had been a "fast-moving" situation and there was "a lot of work still to do" to communicate the message throughout Alice Springs and to nearby remote communities.
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2024-03-29 18:51:22Z
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