Dear all, Yesterday afternoon the Nauruan government went to the extraordinary length of publishing a media release saying: The Nauru Police Force (NPF) has conducted a full investigation into allegations made by a 26 year-old Somali woman (and aired on Australian TV) that she was raped and bashed by two men inside a cave in the Ewa district on August 21, 2015. The media release went on to publish the most personal details about the woman’s assault – details no woman would want publicised around the world. Unsurprisingly the release concluded saying: The investigating officer recommended to the Department of Public Prosecutions the case be closed due to insufficient evidence. A similar recommendation was made by the Prosecutor. “No one should have to endure what this young woman has had to endure,” said Pamela Curr. “She had lost everything; her health, her safety, her family and her own home and now the Nauruan government has taken the last thing she had, her privacy.” "This is further evidence that the Nauru detention centre should never have been reopened but while this situation exists it is imperative that it should be exposed to scrutiny by journalists who have freedom to report sensitively and reveal the truth in the public interest,” said Professor Wendy Bacon. This episode only raises more questions about the treatment of refugee women on Nauru but also the safety and health services available to all women on Nauru" “If this woman had been in Australia there is a good chance she would not have suffered this appalling assault,” said Professor Carmen Lawrence. “But if she had we have rape crisis centres, we have fantastic medical staff, we have a police force that knows how to care for women in this situation.” “We cannot continue having two diametrically opposed realities in Australia,” continued Professor Lawrence. “One where we are all calling for greater respect for Australian woman and another where women who are clearly our responsibility are routinely assaulted and then silenced when they cry out for help.” “Prime Minister Turnbull cannot remain quiet in the face of this abuse of the most vulnerable women on earth,” concluded Professor Lawrence. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ We are now on Facebook as the Australian Women in Support of Women on Nauru. Please like our page for more updates on this campaign at: https://www.facebook.com/AWSWN