Australia refuses abortion for raped Nauru asylum seeker

Transcript

There are more revelations of violent sexual attacks on female refugees and asylum seekers in the Australian run camps on Nauru.

The rape of one woman which has left her pregnant and assaults on a Somali woman who endured two years in captivity by Somalian rebels were highlighted in an ABC Television report.

An Australian based refugee campaigner, Ian Rintoul, says he has been in close contact with both women.

Mr Rintoul says efforts to have the pregnant woman flown to Australia for an abortion have been ignored by Australian authorities.

IAN RINTOUL: So far they have refused, it is just, its simply unbelievable. I have been in contact with the health authorities and border force in Australia for at least the last month making specific requests on her behalf. It has just been flicked off from one person to another. They confirmed that they were aware of her situation but have simply done nothing. It is simply unbelievable that a woman would be treated in this way. They have a duty of care, like everything points to the recklessness and the danger of the way in which they are treating this woman.

DON WISEMAN: With this close contact you are having what are people saying are they just denying that the incident occurred?

IR: No, no they are just trying to pretend that it didn't happen they don't deny that it occurred. There is a police report in the case of Najma. There was a very graphic audio that we got from the police actually, finally attending on the night of the rape itself. There is little doubt that these incidents have occurred, they are common knowledge on Nauru. In spite of the fact that there is no official response to that. No witness statements, no attempts to follow up reports of either the rapes or other sexual assaults or harassment's. So it is not that, they just treat it with ignore. That is the tragedy of the situation, they know the woman is pregnant, they know that it has been weeks, they know very well as medical providers you know the dangers of prolonging termination. There have been other instances where people have become pregnant in similar circumstances and there have been termination of pregnancies. Why they are sitting on their hands in this particular case, that is something the immigration department will have to answer for.

DW: Subsequent to this television expose there have been people at the camp threatened and some refugees who had jobs have lost them?

IR: So far I haven't been able to confirm those reports of lost jobs but there is more than one person telling me that. I am pretty certain that that has taken place, that people have lost their jobs. with the reports of the harassment and the increased threats are very direct. I have spoken to people who have been threatened, the cars swerved at them. As I walked down the road this morning one Somali woman was told directly that we know you we will kill you and it is just shocking. I have been in touch again this morning with connect and other authorities on the road to ensuring that there is adequate protection. Because in all the cases the perpetrators of this sexual assault are wondering around Nauru with impunity. Women are still confined to remote areas where there is not sufficient lighting. And there is no attempt at security let alone the fact that their doors can be slipped with a blade and a frequently slipped with a blade to allow men to actually enter their rooms in these remote locations. It is simply unbelievable what the government is allowing to happen.