"Words can't describe": Rod St George has spoken to SBS about allegations of sexual assault among asylum seekers. Credit:Joe Armao "Words can't describe," Mr St George said. "I've never seen human beings so destitute, so helpless and so hopeless before. "I took the position with every intention of making the place a safer environment but it proved quite rapidly to be an impossibility." Mr Burke said he was told about the allegations about two weeks ago but Tuesday night was the first time he had been put in touch with the whistleblower. ''The allegations are horrific,'' he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

''There's no doubt that what has been described involves some situations and crimes which must not be allowed to occur.'' Mr Burke said issues to be fixed included ensuring groups were able to be kept separate and improving staff training. ''I'll be in Manus in the next couple of days and I'll look for myself.'' Mr Burke refused to walk away from the new policy of sending all arrivals to PNG, saying extra staffing levels would provide opportunities to improve the culture and training. I've never seen human beings so destitute, so helpless and so hopeless before.

It has been reported that Mr Burke would also visit Nauru this week to inspect the damage done to the detention centre there by rioting asylum seekers. The first people charged over the incident will appear in a Nauru court on Wednesday. A department spokeswoman said she had not seen the program, but "any allegations of misconduct is taken seriously and we encourage anyone with information about these allegations or any other allegations to contact the department so it can investigate". She said the department was aware of an allegation of sexual assault on the island but could not comment due to the sensitive nature of the incident. As Australia prepares to send all asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement, and massively expand facilities at Manus Island, Mr St George said the Manus facilities – if they were in Australia – "couldn't even serve as a dog kennel. The owners would be jailed". Rates of self-harm were "off the scale" compared with other detention facilities.

Mr St George alleged six men were sexually abused in the men-only tent section of the camp. Because there are no separate secure areas, he said, the victims were left in the same facilities as their attackers. "There was nothing that could be done for these young men who were considered 'vulnerable' – which, in many cases, is just a euphemism for men who are being raped," he said. "They had to stay where they were. It was obvious that everyone was way in over their head, that we do not have the facilities or the experience to prevent what was happening. ''We might separate people in those circumstances on the mainland but there aren't any facilities on Manus to do that. So these people on Manus who have been assaulted are forced to remain back in the tent ... there was nowhere else for them to go ... because no one leaves Manus." He said some asylum seekers had intimidated others into sewing their lips together and one man had his left ear perforated after "they'd been pouring solvents in his ear for some time". Everyone who knew about the assaults in the camp was "complicit" in the abuse, he said.

Mr St George faces legal action for breaching his confidentiality agreement with G4S. Meanwhile, ABC's 7.30 aired reports on Tuesday that the government ignored warnings about the volatile situation at Nauru for months. More than 100 asylum seekers face charges after a riot led to most of the centre burning to the ground on Friday night, causing an estimated $60million in damage. AFP officer Brendan Thomson predicted similar trouble at Manus Island. "Australia is the biggest, richest nation in the Pacific and Nauru's probably the smallest and one of the most poorest nations. I think Australia's sort of handed them a grenade without the pin, and what's happened over the weekend is indicative of potentially what we may see in Manus." Loading Do you know more? b.hall@fairfaxmedia.com.au