Pacific / Nauru

19 cases of Nauru Files go to police

08:45 am on 18 October 2016

An Australian review has found that 19 cases of alleged violence or sexual assault on Australia's detainees in Nauru were reported to police but none led to prosecution or conviction.

The 19 cases stem from the more than 2,000 incident reports from 2013 to 2015 which were leaked to The Guardian earlier this year.

In an editorial, the newspaper, The Australian, reports that the assault claims have been exaggerated, adding they had sent the human rights advocates and what it describes as the 'love media' into overdrive.

Nauruan police at the offshore processing centre Photo: Supplied

It said there was no evidence that serious crimes were occurring every day.

It said Australia's system of dealing with asylum seekers was the envy of much of the world.

Media access to Nauru is heavily restricted with journalists charged a non-refundable visa application fee of US$6000.

Last year, Nauru admitted a reporter from The Australian but his employer has declined to say whether he was charged the fee.