Aussie teenager jailed in Ethiopia

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr Source: News Limited

AN Australian teenager has been charged with murder in Ethiopia after a "tragic accident" in which he fatally shot his niece.

Obsa Paulos Gudina was visiting family in April when he allegedly fired a gun found in a bedside drawer.

The 15-year-old, who is being held in a federal prison in the nation's capital Addis Ababa, now faces 20 years in jail if found guilty of murder.

He was arrested on April 6 after shooting his 13-year-old niece Fenet Dinku. She was taken to hospital but died 45 minutes later.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was informed of the case on April 16 and a consular official in Addis Ababa visited the boy the following day.

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carrs said they were providing assistance to the boy and his family but that the department was unable to intervene in the legal process.

"He's a very young Australian in a foreign adult jail facing very serious charges. That is of great concern," the spokesperson said.

"We're visiting him every week. We'd obviously visit any Australian who was arrested anywhere and check on their welfare but we're visiting him more often because of his age.

"For someone so young it's important to provide a friendly face."

The spokesperson said consular officials had attended two of the boy's court hearings in April but were denied access to attend a third hearing.

"I wouldn't read too much into that. Sometimes you're just not always permitted to go but we will continue to seek to attend all court hearings," he said.

DFAT routinely assists Australian citizens in navigating unfamiliar legal systems, obtaining information from foreign officials and having matters dealt with swiftly.

"We can also help people get information on local lawyers to use and give them a list of people considered reputable. We can liaise with family and friends.

"The problem that we've got is that under Ethiopian law 15 is the age of adulthood so he's being considered by them as an adult detainee and that has impacts in relation to potential prison conditions and can impact on potential sentences.

"He hasn't been found guilty but that's a difficultly he might face. We could speculate on the nature of the prison conditions because different countries have different standards."

Obsa, an Australian citizen, moved to Australia with his mother and siblings in 2006 and lives in Melbourne's western suburbs.

He returned to Ethiopia in January to complete a three-month photography course and was staying at his older sister's home.

Obsa and a friend were reportedly getting ready for a birthday party when the shooting occurred. His nieces, nephews and the housekeeper were all in the house at the time.

Obsa was reportedly looking for his phone charger when he found the gun in a bedside table and began playing with it before accidentally firing and hitting his niece.

New Hope Foundation, which provides services to the multicultural community around Melbourne, is assisting Obsa's mother Tsehai Atomsa.

Its settlement co-ordinator Heidi Zwick said Ms Atomsa, who has returned to Australia since Obsa's arrest, is worried about her son's mental health.

"He is very depressed at the moment because of his situation and not knowing what's going to happen. Obviously the circumstances in the prison are quite difficult," she said.

"It's a bit challenging for him because he's spent most of his life now in Australia and the prison system in Ethiopia would be quite a shock to any 15-year-old boy.

"I think he may be in a cell with other adults but I don't have a lot of specific inform about that and I don't think mum has either because communication is very difficult."

Obsa condition has reportedly improved since he was moved out of an overcrowded cell in the federal prison in Kaliti into a different cell.

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