The man, who was facing rape charges, was found at Lorengau hospital where he had been receiving treatment for mental illness

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Another refugee has died in Australia’s offshore detention regime, with a man found dead, apparently by suicide, on Manus Island.

The body of the man, whose name the Guardian has chosen not to publish at the request of his family, was found on the grounds of the Lorengau hospital, where he had been sent after a previous suicide attempt.

The man was facing charges of rape following an alleged assault at a motel in Lorengau earlier this year. The matter was still to come before court and he intended to plead not guilty and to defend the charges.

The man was a Sri Lankan Tamil and had been formally recognised as a refugee, and was legally owed protection. Staff on the island said he had been acutely mentally ill for months.

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Fellow refugee on the island Abdul Aziz Adam said: “Three days ago he attempted to kill himself but his friends save[d] him ... they took him to the hospital. But unfortunately there’s not enough medical care and this morning the nurse and doctors confirmed that he ... [was found dead] next to kitchen.

“It has really affected us all very badly. Everyone around me is crying, this is the worst moment.”



Another refugee, Ezatullah Kakar, said on social media: “We lost one more brother today.”

The death has been confirmed by Papua New Guinea police. A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the department was aware of the death at Lorengau hospital, but directed further questions to PNG authorities.

At least six people have died in Australia’s offshore detention regime on Manus Island alone, including several who were brought to Australia critically unwell and died in the country. At least three have died on Australia’s other detention island of Nauru.

The last death was another suspected suicide, that of Iranian refugee Hamed Shamshiripour, whose body was found near a school in August.

Shamshiripour had also been suffering acute mental illness for more than a year, and his deteriorating condition had been consistently raised with senior IHMS and Australian Border Force officials, with pleas for intervention.

Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition said authorities on Manus Island were unable to assist refugees who were physically or mentally unwell after four years in detention.

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“This death is criminal neglect. The evacuation of Manus and Nauru is now a more urgent priority.”

In June, the Australian government agreed to pay $70m in compensation to refugees held on Manus Island for their illegal detention in dangerous and damaging conditions.

The most recent death from within the Australian-run offshore immigration regime has brought renewed calls for an immediate end to offshore processing.

The Australia director of Human Rights Watch, Elaine Pearson, said Australia’s “experiment in human suffering” needed to end immediately.

“By October 31, Australia intends to force people to move from the main detention centre on Manus to the transit centre where this man lived,” she said. “His death should make the Australian government wake up and realise that forcibly transferring people to another facility with even worse healthcare facilities is not the solution.”

Kate Schuetze, Pacific researcher at Amnesty International, said Australia had an obligation to protect the refugees it had sent offshore.

“The fairest and quickest way to ensure safety for all remains bringing them to Australia to process their asylum claims, and welcome refugees into our community,” she said. “This death comes only a few days after a small number of refugees were offered asylum in the United States, making the situation increasingly desperate for those who are left behind in Australia’s offshore processing centres.”

The Human Rights Law Centre’s Daniel Webb said the latest death was yet further demonstration that Nauru and Manus Island were unsuitable for resettlement.

“It becomes more and more clear, with every death and with every violent attack against innocent people in our care, that the only humane and responsible way forward is to immediately evacuate everyone trapped on Nauru and Manus to safety in Australia. Otherwise, further tragedy is inevitable,” Webb said.

“If our government then wants to prowl around the globe trying to find safe third countries, fine. But after four years of suffering and death, it is cruel and irresponsible to leave innocent people in danger any longer.”

• Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636