Aust'n PM to establish royal commission into abuse within the juvenile justice system

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday announced a royal commission into the treatment of juveniles in detention centers in the Northern Territory, after a gross mistreatment and abuse of inmates was revealed by investigative journalism program Four Corners overnight.

Turnbull said he was "shocked and appalled" to learn of the abuse and "torture" being undertaken against the children, and said the Northern Territory government would assist in forming the royal commission.

The Four Corners report contained graphic television footage of prison guards stripping, blindfolding and assaulting a teenage boy, while another six were subjected to tear gas attacks. The report came two years after Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs called for an inquiry into the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, in which many of the atrocities occurred.

After consulting with Triggs, NT Chief Minister Adam Giles overnight, the prime minister told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that a "thorough inquiry" was needed as soon as possible.

"Like all Australians, I have been deeply shocked, shocked and appalled by the images of mistreatment at the Don Dale Centre," Turnbull on Tuesday.

"I have been speaking overnight and early this morning with the Chief Minister Adam Giles, with my Attorney-General Senator (George) Brandis, with the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Northern Territory Senator Nigel Scullion, and also the Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs."

Turnbull said any mistreatment of youths within the juvenile detention center required a royal commission to expose and end the "culture which allowed it to remain unrevealed for so long."

"We will be establishing a royal commission into these events, into this centre; we intend to do so jointly with the Northern Territory Government," Turnbull said.

"We will get to the bottom of what happened here ... we want to know why there were inquiries into this centre which did not turn up the evidence and the information that we saw on Four Corners last night."

Meanwhile, Triggs thanked the prime minister for his "speedy" reaction and his promise to investigate the mistreatment of the teenage offenders.

"I'm very thankful. I think this speedy reaction to really a shocking evidence, the filming, and I think it's an illustration of leadership, where we can start to, as the prime minister says, get to the bottom of this," Triggs said.

NT Chief Minister Adam Giles echoed the prime minister's thoughts when he said he was "shocked and disgusted" by the footage, while he pledged that his government would work closely with Turnbull to establish the Royal Commission.

He said it was imperative to stamp out the culture of mistreatment within the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. Endit