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20 August 2026

Drug-dealing, makeshift weapons and a ‘culture of fear’ at Villawood detention centre, report warns

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Source reporting: The Guardian World

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Drug-dealing, makeshift weapons and a ‘culture of fear’ at Villawood detention centre, report warns

Prolonged detention of children, insufficient staffing and hazardous damage to buildings are among the ombudsman’s concerns Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates The commonwealth’s National Preventive Mechanism issued the report based on a three-day visit in March this year. A total of 428 people were held in Villawood at the time, including children. Some 78 beds were offline because of damage still not repaired from a fire three years ago.

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