Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson ‘assured’ of safety of two children in the care of a suspected abuser
CHILD Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson is satisfied with leaving two children in the care of a suspected sexual abuser after receiving assurances from her department that it has conducted welfare checks.
CHILD Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson is satisfied with leaving two children in the care of a suspected sexual abuser after receiving assurances from her department that it has conducted welfare checks.
But a key child advocate is imploring the Government to show it is putting the safety of children first in the wake of past tragedies where parents or carers have sparked “red flags”.
A report released last week by Ombudsman Wayne Lines revealed children known as Sarah and Jacob were living with a man, known as Peter, whom the Child Protection Department had conceded was "highly likely" to have sexually abused another girl previously in his care.
Peter was alleged to have sexually abused five girls in total, before 2017, although no police charges were laid.
Mr Lines criticised authorities for “plainly failing” those previously in his care and warned action should be taken to ensure Sarah and Jacob were not at risk.
Since being approached by Mr Lines the department has “made efforts to engage with the family” and committed to report back in March next year.
Responding to queries from The Advertiser about whether she believed that response was adequate, Ms Sanderson said she had “sought assurances from the Department for Child Protection that staff have conducted several welfare checks with this family and the chief executive has requested regular updates”.
Ms Sanderson said “changes have been made since this incident” to make it easier for authorities to share information “to keep children safe”.
There have not been any concerns reported to child protection authorities about Sarah or Jacob. More than 50 reports were made concerning the safety of two girls – now adults – who previously lived with Peter.
Child safety advocate Belinda Valentine’s granddaughter Chloe died after repeated reports were made to authorities about her safety in the care of her mother. Following a coronial inquest into Chloe’s death, MPs changed the law to ensure the safety of children was “paramount” over considerations of adults.
“If there is any indication (of abuse) … that’s a big red flag to me,” Ms Valentine said when asked about Peter’s case. “If someone is suspected to be a sexual predator they should not have any children in their care. Children are so vulnerable … they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Are we giving the (adult) the benefit of the doubt here? How many red flags do there have to be before we err on the side of the child?”
Ms Valentine conceded that “we don’t know all the details” but questioned what had satisfied the department no more serious action was needed.
Labor child protection spokeswoman Jayne Stinson said Ms Sanderson “needs to tell the public if she’s confident Sarah and Jacob are safe”.