Rau's claim taken 'at face value'

February 15, 2005 - 2:34PM


Immigration officials made no attempt to verify Cornelia Rau's claim she was a German national named Anna Brotmeyer, the Immigration Department said today.

The Australian woman, who suffers from schizophrenia, was detained at South Australia's Baxter Detention Centre for 10 months following her arrest in Queensland on March 30 last year.

When first arrested, Ms Rau told police and immigration officials that her name was Anna Brotmeyer and she had recently arrived in Australia from her home in Germany.

"The (immigration) officer took that statement at face value," Immigration Department Deputy Secretary Philippa Godwin told a Senate committee today.

"From that point, the officers were intent on trying to establish with certainty her identity as a German national."

However, Ms Godwin confirmed the department took no separate steps to verify Ms Rau's name.

"From our perspective she was continuing to state that she was Anna Brotmeyer and as far as we knew she was Anna Brotmeyer," she said.

"The issue for us was to determine the circumstances of her arrival in Australia and her stay in Australia.

"I think at that point there was a view that she was who she said she was - the issue was whether we could get a clear picture of her circumstances and status."

Ms Rau was not the only Australian citizen to be questioned by immigration officers, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone confirmed.

However, she said usually a person's identity was cleared up within a couple of days.

"I'm advised that a couple of times a year officers locate people who are then subsequently established to be a permanent resident or lawfully in Australia," Senator Vanstone told the committee.

"For example, someone arrested for drink driving might give particulars that lead us to believe they're an unlawful citizen, some people might say they're a United States citizen in the belief they'll be deported to the United States."

At other times, men arrested in circumstances which they wished to keep secret from their wife and family frequently misled officials as to their identity, she said.

"But generally these things are resolved very quickly, in a matter of days," Senator Vanstone said.

"What we want to get to is why Ms Rau's matter was not resolved as quickly."

"We are very keen to see if there is anything we could do better and I feel very sure the state governments are in the same position."

Senator Vanstone said she did not know when the federal government could expect to have the results of a private inquiry into Ms Rau's treatment, being conducted by former police commissioner Mick Palmer.

She said the government would do all it could to help Mr Palmer carry out his job.

"If Mr Palmer has any difficulties in relation to the inquiry he has been told to come back to the government, that includes difficulty getting evidence," Senator Vanstone said.