Howard Government refuses public Rau inquiry

The Howard Government has refused demands for a fully transparent, public inquiry into how mentally ill Australian woman Cornelia Rau was locked up as an illegal immigrant.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said yesterday that former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer would oversee a six-week private inquiry into the case, but the findings would be made public.

Rau, 39, a German-born Australian resident who suffers from schizophrenia, was placed in detention after authorities mistook her for an illegal immigrant.