Child protection data reveals two young girls pregnant, 49 sexual offences charges laid

Shocking new figures have revealed alarming numbers of sexual offence charges laid over incidents involving children in state care.

Appalling new data has revealed almost 50 people were charged in relation to sexual offences against children in state care in the past two years — two of which resulted in pregnancies.

Questions on notice returned from DCP’s appearance before the Budget and Finance Committee in May revealed that 49 people had been charged with a sexual offence against a vulnerable child in the department’s care, one of which was a DCP staff member.

Further information on the incidents has not been disclosed.

Data also showed 26 serious incidents had been reported from January 1 to December 31 last year, with 22 related to self harm, two related to illness requiring surgery and two related to injury caused by harm to the child.

Thirty-four children known to the department had died in the 2022 and 2023 calendar years, compared to 58 between 2019 and 2022.

There are currently about 4,500 children in state care in SA, while one in four South Australian children will be reported to the department before their 10th birthday.

Earlier this month, child protection boss Jackie Bray promised to publish the number of deaths of kids on the department’s radar, following a campaign by The Advertiser for more transparency around the deaths of at-risk young people.

Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Roy VanDerVegt

It has also been revealed six DCP staff had been dismissed for misconduct across the 2022 and 2023 calendar years, while a total of 31 staff had been managed by human resources between June 2022 and May 2024 for breaches of DCP’s policies.

Ms Bray said children in care had a history of significant trauma and were especially vulnerable to sexual abuse by predators, with all harm to young people treated with the “utmost seriousness” by the department.

She said DCP worked closely with SA Police to identify and prosecute perpetrators, as well as educating young people in care about grooming, sexual development and health — all “critical” factors to preventing exploitation.

The department has also partnered with the Australian Centre for Child Protection on work around harmful sexual behaviours.

In the wake of the harrowing revelations, the opposition has called for Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard to stand down for a dedicated Child Protection Minister — and committed to having the role stand alone should they win government at the next election.

Ms Hildyard currently holds the portfolios of child protection, domestic, family and sexual violence prevention and recreation, sport and racing.

Ms Hildyard lashed the opposition’s criticisms as “rank hypocrisy” and said she was regularly briefed on all significant incidents, including pregnancies.

The minister said she welcomed charges against any “awful predators” within the system.

“Vile paedophiles who prey on young people are utterly abhorrent and deserve to be severely punished,” she said.

Ms Hildyard said calls for a standalone portfolio were a “petty politicisation” of complex and serious issues.

Opposition spokesman Josh Teague has called for child protection to be a dedicated portfolio. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

In 2020, then-Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson admitted she was only made aware of a case of pregnancy in state care when the 35-year-old man who impregnated her was sentenced.

The following year, Ms Sanderson ordered a review into the department’s reporting practices — in which former District Court judge Paul Rice condemned the lack of reporting as a “significant failure” of the minister.

“To be really clear, awful sexual assaults and pregnancies occurred under the former Liberal government,” Ms Hildyard said.

“The difference is that the former Liberal government did not know, did not ask, and did not demand the department provide information.

“We ask for notifications and briefings, we are toughening laws on child sex offenders, tackling the complex and difficult issues children and their families confront and undertaking the hard work to transform the child protection and family support system.”

Ms Hildyard did not provide responses with regard to the age of the pregnant girls or whether their babies had been born into state care.