Advocates have pleaded with the state government to come up with a specialised solution for young homeless Queenslanders, who are being violently and sexually abused in crisis accommodation designed for adults.
Young homeless Queenslanders are being sexually and violently assaulted in mixed-dorm crisis accommodation designed for adults as advocates flag an “unprecedented” spike in youth homelessness.
A specialist service provider in Brisbane pleaded for state government support amid a 250 per cent surge in youngsters asking for help over a two-week period this month (March). Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) chief executive Pam Barker said “I’ve never seen anything like it”.
In a two-week period up to March 24, nearly 200 youths aged between 12 and 25 required support from the group’s emergency assistance team, with about one in five aged between 12 and 17.
Over the fortnight alone, Ms Barker said there were more than 650 young children and young people in desperate need of support for housing – figures which she said had “skyrocketed”.
(By State Political Reporter James Hall)