Irishman faces jail for assisting refugees escape

A 22-year-old Irishman could face up to 10 years in jail for helping refugees escape from an Australian detention centre.

Jonathan O’Shea was charged by Australian authorities yesterday with helping the refugees escape the camp in Woomera, South Australia, the scene of a number of riots and hunger strikes since it was opened in the Australian outback.

Australian police say they have video evidence of O’Shea, a graphic artist from Kilmoney Heights, Carrigaline, Co Cork, handing wire cutters through the fence at the Woomera compound which led to the escape of 35 refugees in June.

Amnesty International said the camp should be closed because it was in contravention of UN guidelines.

“It’s clearly in breech of the UN Convention of Children’s Rights,” said Amnesty International Ireland spokesman Des Hogan. “The detention of children in such camps should only be a last resort. In the case of the Australian government it’s their first resort,” Mr Hogan said.

Jonathan’s mother, Marie O’Shea, declined to comment yesterday. However, neighbour Jerry O’Sullivan said Jonathan was a very popular and good-mannered young man.

“He’s a brilliant young lad. He is very kind and good-natured. It was a big shock when I heard the news. I’m praying he will soon be home in Carrigaline,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

John Gargan, a teacher at Jonathan’s former school, Carrigaline Community School, said: “He was a quite young man and was always very well behaved.”

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said officials had been in touch with the O’Shea family and that they had offered them help. He said they could assist the family in acquiring legal representation for Jonathan and could arrange visits to him in jail by either embassy staff in Canberra or consulate officials in Sydney.

O’Shea, who was on a one-year working visa in Australia, will appear again in court next Wednesday.