Australia says to look through evidence linked to detention center abuse

Australian authorities will look through evidence published to identify any complaints or issues "not properly addressed" in connection with an immigration detention center, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday.

But Turnbull stopped short of establishing a Royal Commission investigation that has the power to recommend prosecution of officials for wilful negligence.

The Australian arm of The Guardian on Wednesday published 2,000 incident reports dating between August 2013 and December 2015 that detailed instances of psychological abuse, attempted self harm as well as sexual abuse against women and children.

The aired allegations are familiar to those published by Australia's national broadcaster late July that detailed alleged mistreatment of detainees in the Northern Territory's youth detention facility, prompting Turnbull to call for a Royal Commission within 12-hours.

Though the number of asylum seekers trying to reach Australian shores pales in comparison to those seeking refuge in Europe, Australian authorities instead turn back asylum seeker boats to their country of origin at sea - where possible - or transfer those seeking refuge to one of the two offshore processing centers in Nauru, or on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

The policy, while designed to stop the flow of asylum seekers using people smuggling operations to reach Australia by boat following a spate of tragic deaths at sea, has been heavily criticized. Endit