Australia to provide $17 million compensation to Indonesian children imprisoned as adults

A major class action suit against the Australian government has been settled, with over 120 Indonesians receiving a compensation of more than A$27m ($17m). The victims, who were wrongly imprisoned as adults when they were actually children, were also prosecuted in some cases as people smugglers. Some of the children were as young as 12 at the time of their detention. The settlement is the latest case related to Australia's asylum seeker policies. The applicants involved in the class action suit were detained between 2009 and 2012 on Christmas Island or in Darwin after arriving in Australia on people-smuggling boats. They claim to have been lured onto these boats as children with promises of well-paid work, unaware of their destination or the fact that they would be used to transport asylum seekers. The Australian government wrongly relied on wrist X-ray analysis to determine their ages and proceeded to jail anyone believed to be older than 18. The Indonesian government failed to provide assistance in this matter, according to Colin Singer, a prison guard involved in uncovering the case. A landmark report by the Australian Human Rights Commission also highlighted numerous breaches of the boys' rights and mishandling of their cases. Lead claimant Ali Jasmin accused Australian officials of negligence and racial discrimination. This settlement follows several other wrongful detention lawsuits against the Australian government.