Australian territory stops use of hoods, restraints on youth detainees

SYDNEY: Australia’ Northern Territory on Wednesday suspended the use of hoods and restraints on children as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull resisted pressure to broaden an inquiry into mistreatment in youth detention centres. Turnbull ordered the inquiry on Tuesday after national television aired video showing guards at a juvenile detention centre tear-gassing teenage aboriginal inmates and strapping a half-naked, hooded boy to a chair. The case highlights concern about the disproportionate numbers of aboriginal youth in custody, with one indigenous leader calling for politicians to deal with the wider issue of crime within the community.

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