Young crims out of control
A MARATHON police siege continued yesterday inside a juvenile correctional centre after inmates stole a set of keys, armed themselves with a hedge trimmer and garden tools and unleashed on known sex offenders.
The bloody rampage began when about four young prisoners surrounded one officer, cornering the victim and stealing a set of keys, at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre on the NSW central coast about 8.30pm on Sunday.
The inmates went straight to a maintenance shed, grabbing garden tools including a hedge trimmer.
Up to 30 inmates, some released from their cells by other detainees, went on a rampage in which seven inmates were seriously injured as the group targeted serious sex offenders.
One of the victims, aged 13 to 18, had stab wounds and facial injuries and another had been stabbed to the head and hands.
A 17-year-old offender dislocated his ankle after jumping off a roof.
The young males were taken to Gosford and Royal North Shore hospitals.
Guards had to retreat and police took control, forming a perimeter around the building as they tried to talk them down. The riot squad, dog unit and bomb disposal unit were also called in.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said the entire juvenile justice system had “descended into chaos”.
“Those detainees have obtained control of that centre, they have then turned around and sought to go after known sex offenders,” Mr Little said.
“They have set about, as we understand, with the intent to either murdering those offenders or do very, very serious harm to those offenders.
“A number of those detainees are currently sitting in intensive care with stab wounds to the chest and head injuries.”
Several of the inmates surrendered yesterday but a number remained on the roof carrying makeshift weapons.
The PSA said assaults on guards had soared inside juvenile centres – one guard was attacked with a hammer in Dubbo just weeks ago and another recently had his leg broken – and yesterday were making three demands of the State Government.
The group said an immediate safety audit should take place to remove items like garden tools and called for a judicial review to look at greater powers for juvenile justice staff to control violent inmates.
“We need to give our members power similar to corrective services (adult jails),” Mr Little said.