"13-Year-Old Sent to Adult Prison"... Australian Government to Pay 24 Billion Won Compensation

More than a decade ago, Indonesian children who were smuggled into Australia and imprisoned in adult prisons have been awarded compensation. The Australian government has agreed to compensate the victims with approximately 24 billion KRW.

According to AAP news agency and others on the 22nd (local time), 13-year-old Indonesian Ali Yasmin boarded a ship in 2010 after hearing that becoming a sailor would earn him a lot of money. However, the ship he boarded was a vessel smuggling people into Australia.

Yasmin, who was caught by Australian authorities, was sentenced to five years in prison. The police made him sign a complaint with a fake birthdate, and since Yasmin did not understand English well, it is known that he signed without knowing the exact contents.

Additionally, the Australian government judged Yasmin to be an adult through a wrist X-ray examination and sent him to an adult prison. After his release in 2012, Yasmin learned through human rights organizations that many Indonesian minors like himself had been imprisoned in adult prisons.

In August 2012, an Australian Navy patrol boat monitored a migrant boat carrying Indonesians.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

More than 100 victims, including Yasmin, filed a class-action lawsuit against the Australian government. The Australian government countered, saying, "It was merely an administrative action under immigration law." However, on this day, the Australian government agreed in federal court to compensate the victims a total of 27.5 million Australian dollars (approximately 24.3 billion KRW).

Judge Christopher Horan, who presided over the trial, said, "The amount the government agreed to compensate is reasonable and fair." Yasmin's legal team also expressed gratitude, saying, "We thank the court for enabling us to reach a settlement within this year."

Meanwhile, the wrist X-ray examination, developed in the United States in the 1950s, estimates age by comparing the degree of bone growth to age-specific standards, primarily by taking an X-ray of the left hand. The wrist bones have a consistent ossification sequence, and since their development is more influenced by disease or nutritional status than genetics, it is easier to compare overall skeletal development.

For children under 10 years old, the left hand and wrist are X-rayed, and after age 10, the elbow, shoulder, and knees are also X-rayed to interpret bone age. When growth is complete, the growth plates are incorporated into the bone and are not visible on X-rays.

However, this examination method has been criticized for its low reliability nowadays. For this reason, the Australian government no longer adopts this method.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.