The federal attorney-general has suggested that two women wrongfully detained by the Immigration Department could have avoided being locked up if they had cooperated more with authorities.But some people want to remain anonymous writes Just Us.
The report of the Palmer inquiry, which is allegedly looking into the wrongful detentions of Cornelia Rau and Vivian Solon, is to be released today or tomorrow even though some of that material has been leaked? [Leaked on purpose?]
Leaked drafts of the Palmer report blame the Immigration Department for failing to follow its own procedures regarding the detention of Cornelia Rau, and for exacerbating her mental illness.
But who leaked the drafts? I don't suppose there will be any investigation about that?
philip ruddock, who was the minister for immigration at the time the women were detained, says it is difficult to identify detainees without their help.
"Identification of people depends very much upon a high level of cooperation from those who are asked to prove their identity, and if that is not forthcoming, the task is always more difficult," ruddock said.
But from my memory Conelia Rau suggested she might have had a good reason for remaining anonymous in that she declared that she was not mentally ill.
She may also have been compromised by her own family who had previously placed her into a mental health facility and did not particularly want to be sent back to a mental health hospital perhaps suggesting at that time, prior being picked up by authorities that she was not mentally ill?
ruddock says he hopes that the report will not look just at the actions of the Immigration Department.
"It shouldn't disguise the problems you have in dealing with people who do not give you accurate information about who they are and their background, and the difficulties that you confront when having to deal with that are much greater than when you have cooperation," he said.
But do people have the right to remain anonymous even to government officials?
Claims contradicted
But Ms Solon's lawyer, George Newhouse, contradicts ruddock's claim that his client was uncooperative and had not given her real name.
"She actually did provide her full name, Vivian Solon, to independent witnesses who tried to pass this information on to DIMIAA [Immigration Department] officers, and they weren't interested," he said.
Ms Solon remains in the Philippines while her legal team negotiates for compensation with the Government.
She has not been asked to give evidence at the Palmer inquiry, but others have told the investigation she did give her correct name.
"I would expect that Mr Ruddock would have read the Palmer report and that this information would have been in the report," Mr Newhouse said.
"I don't understand how Mr Ruddock could possibly suggest that Vivian was the cause of her own demise."
Mr Newhouse says he believes Mr Ruddock's comments are an attempt to blunt the inquiry's impact.
"But it does surprise me that Mr Ruddock is out there criticising the victims when I understand the report is going to slam his own department, a department that bungled the Cornelia Rau and the Vivian Solon case under his stewardship," he said.
And what about the leaks?
By Tom Iggulden and Just Us 13 July 05
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