WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW
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The ACT's justice minister has flagged a review into the "extraordinary" circumstances that led a father to coincidentally find his son in hospital after he was beaten unconscious in jail.
Shane Rattenbury fronted media on Friday afternoon following revelations David Christopher Laipato, 31, was beaten "within an inch of his life" at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on Monday.
Mr Rattenbury reiterated the Justice and Community Safety Directorate's earlier response to The Canberra Times, saying Corrective Services followed correct procedure in Laipato's matter.
However, he said the incident was "terrible" and "one of those extraordinary circumstances", and would be subject to a review by corrections.
Laipato's father found his bloodied son by coincidence at Canberra Hospital about 8.50pm on Monday, when he was at the hospital to visit his sick wife.
Mr Rattenbury said, "Corrections policy is that, when somebody is admitted to hospital, next of kin are notified.
"At the time the family saw the detainee, the decision had just been taken to admit him to hospital."
Mr Rattenbury said the decision to admit detainees to hospital was a medical one, and corrections officers shouldn't be put in a position where they had to "second guess" that.
The review would consider whether family members should be told prisoners were seriously injured or ill before they were taken to hospital, Mr Rattenbury said.
Corrections would also look at who Laipato should have contact with in prison.
Laipato's lawyer, Adrian McKenna, said he was prepared to pursue all legal avenues to ensure the safety of his client, who was sent back to prison about 2pm on Friday.
"The Alexander Maconochie Centre holds itself out to be Australia's first human rights compliant correctional facility, and someone now for a second time has been horribly assaulted within that facility," Mr McKenna said.
"One has to wonder where that leaves David Laipato's human rights."
"We're continuing to improve our security measures across the jail constantly," Mr Rattenbury said.
"Unfortunately, some people still do resolve matters with violence."
Mr Rattenbury said Laipato's family had not asked to speak with him about the incident.
Laipato, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been in the Alexander Maconochie Centre since January last year for violently assaulting the mother of his four-year-old child.