An Australian senate inquiry is looking into serious allegations of sexual assault, abuse and neglect at the Nauru detention centre.
The inquiry will look at submissions from groups and individuals.
A submitter, The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said the living conditions and treatment of asylum seekers, including reports of violence and sexual abuse of children, were alarming.
Its submission said women and children were forced to wet the bed, as they were too afraid to go to the bathroom at night for fear of their safety.
Protesters gather on Nauru Photo: Supplied
It said there were just four toilets for 400 people to share.
It said male guards were in charge of the women's shower block and had offered to extend shower time to women who agreed to shower while exposed to them.
The submission said five to six families lived together in each communal tent, which were filled with mice and cockroaches, no air conditioning, and mould, which caused skin infections.