Staff at Tasmanian youth detention centre allegedly covered up child sexual abuse, inquiry hears

Calls for centre to be closed urgently after concerns for safety of children went unaddressed for decades

Allegations that staff at Tasmania's youth detention centre covered up child sexual abuse, destroyed records and failed to report complaints will be examined by an inquiry.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings held its first hearing on Tuesday.