Civil claims against ACT government highlight historical failures in duty of care at Quamby and Bimberi facilities, survivors say.
At least 13 former child detainees in the Australian Capital Territory’s youth justice system have alleged they were sexually abused by a detention centre guard between 2003 and 2013, according to reports and civil proceedings now before the courts.
The allegations centre on a former guard named Brett Dennis, known to some detainees as “Chicken,” who worked at the now-closed Quamby Youth Detention Centre in Canberra. Survivors have described being taken to isolated areas of the facility grounds, where they say the abuse occurred. Quamby, which housed children as young as 10, was shut down in 2008 amid longstanding human rights concerns. Some claims also extend to the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, which replaced it.
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Four men have publicly outlined similar experiences in recent interviews, saying the abuse took place while they were under the care and control of the state. Lawyers representing survivors have indicated that a broader group of former detainees-at least 22 plaintiffs in total-have lodged civil claims against the ACT government. The claims allege historical sexual abuse by staff and, in some cases, by other detainees, and assert that the territory failed in its duty of care by not taking adequate precautions to protect vulnerable children.
The ACT government is named as a defendant in the proceedings. Earlier individual claims, including one filed in 2025, detailed allegations that a guard used his position of authority to isolate and assault a detainee. The guard named in some of those earlier documents has since died. Lawyers for the survivors have said the abuse has had profound and lasting effects on their clients, who were children at the time.
The revelations form part of a wider pattern of institutional abuse claims across Australia’s youth detention system. Multiple jurisdictions have faced lawsuits and inquiries into historical mistreatment of children in state care, including physical and sexual abuse. Advocacy groups and survivors have long argued that closed institutions created environments where power imbalances and inadequate oversight allowed harm to continue unchecked.
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ACT authorities have previously acknowledged systemic shortcomings in youth detention. Quamby’s closure followed repeated criticism of its conditions. Bimberi has also been subject to independent scrutiny over issues including use of force and record-keeping, though those reports did not focus on the historical allegations now being litigated.
No criminal charges related to these specific historical claims against Dennis have been detailed in the recent reporting. The civil cases remain before the courts, and the allegations have not been tested or proven in a criminal trial. Survivors and their lawyers have emphasised the importance of accountability and recognition of the harm caused while the children were in state custody.
The cases underscore ongoing questions about how governments protect children in detention and whether historical failures have been adequately addressed. For the men who have come forward, the legal process represents an attempt to seek recognition and redress for experiences they say shaped their lives long after they left the centres.