Boy, 16, held in ‘cramped’ prison cell alone for 22 hours a day for weeks, Victorian ombudsman finds

A cell at Melbourne Assessment Prison, where the boy was held. Photograph: Victorian ombudsman A cell at Melbourne Assessment Prison, where the boy was held. Photograph: Victorian ombudsman Victoria Boy, 16, held in ‘cramped’ prison cell alone for 22 hours a day for weeks, Victorian ombudsman finds Ombudsman finds government breached teen’s human rights, saying the conditions ‘bordered on solitary confinement’

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Prefer the Guardian on Google A 16-year-old boy was held in conditions akin to solitary confinement in adult prison for 22 hours a day, leading him to have suicidal thoughts, a Victorian ombudsman report has revealed.

The report, tabled in parliament on Thursday , found the Department of Justice and Community Safety breached the teen’s human rights when transferring him from the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct to the maximum-security Melbourne Assessment Prison in early 2025.