Men accused of raping cellmates mistakenly allowed to stay in shared cells by Queensland prison staff

The ombudsman’s inspection report of the Brisbane correctional centre raised a number of concerns about the facility, which it found was operating at 168% of its design capacity. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAPView image in fullscreenThe ombudsman’s inspection report of the Brisbane correctional centre raised a number of concerns about the facility, which it found was operating at 168% of its design capacity. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAPPrisonsMen accused of raping cellmates mistakenly allowed to stay in shared cells by Queensland prison staff Strict protocols violated by corrections staff who wrongly believed sexual assault cases were ‘closed’, ombudsman finds Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Ben Smee Queensland state correspondentSun 26 Apr 2026 23.44 EDTLast modified on Sun 26 Apr 2026 23.45 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleMen charged with alleged prison rapes were allowed to stay in shared cells – against strict protocols – by Queensland corrections staff who mistakenly believed their cases were “closed” and that they posed no risk, a report by the state’s ombudsman has found.The ombudsman’s inspection report of the Brisbane correctional centre raises a number of concerns about the facility, including extensive overcrowding, health facilities that are not fit for purpose and complaints that chicken served to detainees and staff is often undercooked.Cells at the prison are primarily designed for single occupancy. Under inspection “standards”, prisoners are to be accommodated solo in cells unless they request to be placed with a cellmate.But the ombudsman found the Brisbane facility was operating at 168% of its design capacity, meaning that most often people in custody are “doubled” up in cells.Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailThe report revealed concerns about how prisons across Queensland were documenting and responding to allegations of sexual assault, in particular when deciding whether to place people in single- or double-occupancy cells.The inspection found that “circumstances where prisoners who were vulnerable or who had previously experienced or alleged sexual assault by a cellmate were sharing a cell”.It also “identified three incidents where a prisoner was sharing a cell after they were alleged to have sexually assaulted their cellmate”.In one case, a prisoner was transferred to another correctional centre while under investigation for alleged sexual assault. He was later charged with the alleged rape of a former cellmate, and details of the charge were added to his case notes.But the following day, staff added another case note – a “cell sharing review” – that found there were “no apparent identified risks or factors that would prevent shared cell accommodation”. Corrections staff told the ombudsman that workers at the other correctional centre had “incorrectly” assumed the matter had been finalised, when an internal investigation was “closed”. The investigation in this case had been closed only because the matter was referred to police.‘Astounding’ negligence revealed: governments turn blind eye to staggering prison death tollRead moreIn its response to the ombudsman, Queensland Corrective Services said the second prison had conducted an internal review of similar cases “and found further instances where the same error had been made by staff”.Staff and prisoners at Brisbane correctional centre also told the ombudsman they had…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at the Guardian.