Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is calling for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to be sacked, after an elderly woman was allegedly bashed by a released immigration detainee.

Perth

Nanette Simons, a 73-year-old grandmother, emerged as the latest face of what is being termed as an immigration detention blunder, with injuries highlighting the severity of the situation. The incident has ignited calls for political accountability, with demands for resignation being directed at the responsible ministers. Despite the controversy, the focus is being shifted towards discussions on solutions rather than the ministers taking responsibility for the oversight.

This incident came to light following the charge of four individuals, including a former immigration detainee, regarding a violent home robbery in Perth. It has been disclosed that a significant drug debt was the motive behind the attack, with Simons being targeted for her visible gold jewelry. The event has sparked widespread condemnation, emphasizing the unacceptability of violence within the community.

The detainee involved in the attack on Simons had been previously released due to a landmark High Court decision last year and was allowed to remain in the community despite accusations of curfew violations. This leniency has now been scrutinized, with critiques pointing to the potential preventability of the crime had the ministers performed their duties more diligently. The Commonwealth's decision not to oppose the detainee's bail application, deemed generous by the presiding magistrate, is now a point of contention.

Amidst growing pressure for accountability, the Home Affairs Minister broke silence on the incident, while Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has limited his public comments to a single radio appearance. The lack of visibility of Minister Giles has sparked further criticism, drawing attention to the government's handling of similar cases, including another recent bail decision for a former detainee in Brisbane accused of a visa violation.



Calls for Ministers to resign over alleged detainee bashing

A 73-year-old grandmother a bruised and battered, Nanette Simons is the face of the latest immigration detention bungle and calls are growing for political heads to roll. Ministerial responsibility says you must resign. You must resign now. The minister is refusing. What I would like to do is talk about what the solutions to this are. But it's what the government didn't do that's dominating conversation. This former immigration detainee was among four people charged at the weekend over an alleged violent home robbery in Perth earlier this month. Today it's been revealed a major drug debt motivated the attack and Nanette was targeted after she was spotted wearing gold jewellery in public. It's completely unacceptable. There's no place for violence in our society. The 43-year-old had been released after a landmark High Court ruling last year. He was granted permission to stay in the community in February despite allegedly breaching his curfew. This dreadful crime, horrific crime against an elderly Australian woman perhaps wouldn't have taken place if the minister was doing his job. The Commonwealth did not oppose his application for bail, a decision described by the then magistrate as generous. That is disappointing. That represented an opportunity to bring him back into custody. Pressure's been mounting on the two ministers responsible to take some accountability. So today is the first time we've heard from the Home Affairs Minister since the attack and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has spoken once on radio. Minister Giles is in some sort of witness protection program because we haven't seen him at all. Just as another former detainee is released on bail in Brisbane, charged with an alleged visa breach. Lucy Gray for 10 News First.

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