SRI LANKA REFUGEE ASSAULTED IN DETENTION CENTRE

A Sri Lankan refugee has been bashed by Serco guards at Villawood Detention Centre in Southwest Sydney, a refugee advocate group said.

However, the Department of Immigration denies the assault ever occurred and says that a man was taken to hospital for “a medical condition”.

Refugee Action Coalition’s Ian Rintoul said about 20 officers from the security company Serco had some involvement in the incident, while five or six were directly involved in the assault.

“The man, who has suffered, was left severely traumatised as well as physically injured,” Mr Rintoul said.

“He was attended to by an ambulance and taken to hospital around 1.30am, daylight saving time, with injuries to his head, face, neck,

He was attended to by an ambulance and taken to hospital around 1.30am, daylight saving time, with injuries to his head, face, neck, his hand and legs

his hand and legs.

“He is now at Liverpool hospital.”

The 29-year-old Sri Lan- kan Tamil refugee has been in detention for two-and-ahalf years, Mr Rintoul said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Immigration said no assault took place although a man was taken to hospital for a medical condition.

She would not comment on the nature of the condition.