Sunrise presenter Nat Barr has lashed out at Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil amid calls for her to resign after a released detainee allegedly punched a pensioner.
Police in Western Australia say three people attacked Ninette Simmons, 73, and her husband Philip, 76, claiming their hands were tied behind their backs while they stole $200,000 worth of jewellery.
“I think Ninette and her husband needed more than thoughts and prayers here,” Barr told Mrs. O’Neil on Wednesday.
‘This man was accused of breaking and entering, driving and drugs. He was in court several times.
As I understand it, one of those charges was federal. A visa fee that had to be dropped due to an error by his government.
‘Why wasn’t she wearing an ankle bracelet?’
Clare O’Neil has refused to respond to calls to resign after a released immigration detainee allegedly punched an elderly woman.
O’Neil did not respond to the question and said he could not comment and potentially disrupt criminal proceedings against the man.
“So one of the layers of protection that we have in place, Nat, is a group of very experienced law enforcement officials making decisions about how people are going to be monitored in the community,” he said.
‘I cannot speak to the details of this individual case.
“But I will say that this is one of the layers of protection that we have put in place, including a regime that establishes ankle monitoring bracelets and curfews.”
Barr responded by asking a question on the minds of many Australians.
‘Aren’t you responsible for the Community Protection Board that makes those decisions?
‘And they didn’t give him an anklet?
—Do you think people feel safe out there?
“Well, I’m not going to comment on the details of the case,” Mrs. O’Neil repeated.
Nat Barr asked O’Neil why the man wasn’t wearing an ankle monitor bracelet.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, also under pressure to resign, has offered to speak to the elderly couple.
One of the alleged perpetrators was part of a cohort of immigrants detained at the center of a federal political fight.
The 43-year-old was one of 154 men released from an immigration detention center in November after the High Court ruled indefinite detention was unlawful.
Noting he was limited in what he could say about a case in court, Giles said he spoke to WA’s police minister about the case.
“How can we best support victims, even if they want to speak to me directly to reiterate that it’s something I’m keen to do… if it’s something they’re interested in,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
The Opposition has used the alleged attack to criticize the Albanese Government for not monitoring the released detainees more closely or for not requesting that any of them be put back behind bars under the emergency powers approved by Parliament at the end from last year.
“I want to see the Prime Minister sack the two ministers responsible for this terrible circumstance,” opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Tuesday.
Released detainee Jamshidi Doukoshkan and two other attackers allegedly beat 73-year-old Ninette Simons (above) unconscious in Girrawheen, north of Perth, on April 16.
Giles responded by accusing Dutton of disrespecting the rule of law and highlighting that the Albanian government opposed the High Court decision that released the detainees and had to abide by the ruling.
“He is misleading the Australian people,” he said.
The Government has been given the power to request that a detainee be put back behind bars, even if they have not yet committed a crime, if they are deemed to pose too high a risk to the safety of the community.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan scolded the Albanian government for not seeking an order.
“The Government has stood by and has not acted against this regime, knowing that the chances of these repeat criminals were high,” he told ABC.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles defended the amount of time it took to apply for an order, saying the less than five months since the legislation was implemented was shorter than the Coalition used to apply for an order under a similar regime.
Tehan argued that the regimes were different.
Giles said that while he could not comment on individuals, “applications are underway to respond to the preventive detention of the most serious and violent offenders.”
