A 15-year-old inmate was allegedly "folded up" by officers at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre earlier this year — months after the controversial restraint technique was banned by the government.
The teenager was among 51 detainees at the centre of hundreds of allegations relating to the plagued youth facility tabled in parliament on Thursday.
The complaint documents, compiled by the Aboriginal Legal Service, allege the boy was "smashed into the ground" in March and left with bruising and scratches to his face – still visible when he saw his lawyer two days later.
The potentially deadly "folding up" practice was banned by the state government in December last year.
On another occasion the boy allegedly swallowed a piece of glass he found on the floor of the Intensive Support Unit in January.
The ISU is used for mentally vulnerable detainees requiring observation, or for those demonstrating consistent poor behaviour.
When he reported this to the nurse, she allegedly said he was fine and took no other action.
The following day the boy disclosed to his lawyers he swallowed more glass and they raised concerns with the Department of Justice, which oversees the facility.
"We are instructed that the only follow up that occurred was that a nurse attended to (the boy), shone a torch in his mouth and again said he was fine," one of the complaint letters said.
Teen the victim of assault by guard
The same inmate, who cannot be legally identified, was also violently thrown to the ground by a youth custodial officer in May last year.
The teenager, giving evidence via video-link in court, admitted he had threatened and abused the officer beforehand.
In footage shown in the court, he could be seen leaning very close towards the officer, who then threw him onto the floor.
The man was last month given a fine and a spent conviction for the assault.
The ABC understands the boy has been diagnosed with six mental health disorders including PTSD, ADHD, Central Auditory Processing Disorder and a specific Neurodevelopmental and Learning Disorder.
He has been in the care of the state since he was nine years old according to his mother, who says the Department of Communities rarely notify her of the incidents he's been involved in.
"DCP don't contact me and tell me what's happened," she said.
"It's scary … I think, is it going to be another week before DCP tells me that he's been involved in a serious accident or, even worse — dead?"
The boy's mother said she did not find out her son had been assaulted by a youth custodial officer last year until recently.
"I wasn't aware of it at all," she said.
"I even seen it on the news. And I had people ring me [and] told me that it might have been my son."
'Pretty horrific treatment'
Greens Upper House MP Brad Pettitt tabled 57 complaint letters to parliament late on Thursday, which he said were sent to the Department of Justice.
"These complaint letters deal with some pretty horrific treatment of young people at Banksia Hill and Unit 18 ," he said.
"No child, no matter how bad their behaviour is, deserves to be treated this way. WA can and must do better."
In another complaint, a female detainee alleged she was hit on both sides of her head with chairs by two male youth custodial officers, resulting in lumps on her head.
It is further alleged she was then placed in handcuffs, put into the banned "hogtie" or "folding up" position, and dragged on the floor while restrained.
Another submission contained allegations that an officer "moaned inappropriately (sexually)" at the same female detainee when she asked him to open her cell door and that she felt scared.
Corrective Services Minister Bill Johnston urged people who wished to make a complaint to use the correct channels.
"If anyone has allegations of unprofessional conduct within the Department of Justice, then it should be referred to the Department's Professional Standards Directorate," he said in a statement.
"Alternatively if anyone has any evidence of illegal actions by a youth custodial officer, it should be referred to a relevant authority such as WA Police or the Corruption and Crime Commission."
