Two weeks ago, the Australian government was refusing allow a refugee who had been raped while under their "care" in Nauru to be flown to Australia for an abortion. Last week, they finally relented and flew her to Sydney - but when she asked to see a doctor and a counsellor, as is her right under New South Wales' abortion law, they decided that she had "changed her mind" and secretly rendered her back to Nauru:
The federal government has secretly flown a pregnant refugee out of Australia to escape a court injunction, chartering a jet to take her back to Nauru and the detention centre where she was raped.
In an extraordinary effort that appears to be an attempt escape the reach of Australian courts, the government on Friday swiftly moved the 23-year-old Somalian, who is pregnant as a result of being raped on Nauru, from Villawood detention centre in Sydney.
And they did this while her lawyers were in court trying to enforce her right to medical care. Its a deliberate attempt to escape the jurisdiction of the Australian courts, and shows an absolute contempt for the rule of law.
Using forced pregnancy and rendition to terrorise refugees is wrong. Australia used to be a better country than this. Australians should hang their heads in shame.
