Boy, 16, held in ‘cramped’ prison cell alone for 22 hours a day for weeks, Victorian ombudsman finds

Ombudsman finds government breached teen’s human rights, saying the conditions ‘bordered on solitary confinement’

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A 16-year-old boy was held in conditions akin to solitary confinement in adult prison for 22 hours a day, leading him to have suicidal thoughts, a Victorian ombudsman report has revealed.

The report, tabled in parliament on Thursday, found the Department of Justice and Community Safety breached the teen’s human rights when transferring him from the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct to the maximum-security Melbourne Assessment Prison in early 2025.

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