According to the “Forgotten Children” report, these 116 children are suffering “extreme levels of physical, emotional, psychological and developmental distress”.

This is no longer a matter for political point scoring — in any case both the Coalition and Labor are the architects of the policies that led to this cruelty — this is a story of traumatised children, being further damaged by actions carried out in our name.

Many prominent Australians, including former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser, are speaking out against this barbaric situation.

Churches, medical professionals and people from all walks of life are adding their voices.

If we don’t speak out, if we don’t let the politicians know that we believe locking up children is wrong, then it will become our shame as well.

I urge concerned members of the community to write to their Federal MP, to the Prime Minister, to the Minister for Immigration, and let them know that Australia is better than this, that we are better than this and that we will not stand by and let this cruelty continue.

— LOUISE D’ARCY,

Yackandandah