Australia routinely sends asylum seekers arriving by boat to processing camps that double as detention centers on the nearby islands of Manus, in the Papua New Guinea, and Nauru. The camps have received strong criticism from rights groups over inhumane living conditions and repeated cases of violence and abuse.
A 23-year-old asylum seeker from Iran told Australian media she was raped when leaving the camp last week. She turned to the police, but officers were reportedly too busy watching the fireworks for Nauru's constitution day and did not provide an interpreter to talk to her until hours later. However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the investigation is now underway and the Nauruan police promised to "find the person who did this."
In March, a review of the camp in Nauru ordered by the Australian government revealed several dozen cases of sexual harassment and abuse against asylum seekers. According to the document, guards at the camps traded marijuana and cigarettes for sexual favors.
Commenting on this information, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that sexual abuses in Nauru migrant detention camps do happen "occasionally."
