Findings of Child Protection inquiry to stay secret until at least next week

The findings of an investigation into how the Child Protection Department handled two sexual abuse cases won’t be made public until at least next week.

The findings of an inquiry into the Child Protection Department’s bungled handling of the sexual abuse of two children in state care will remain confidential until at least next week because the State Government has decided to review the review.

The Government was handed the final report into the mishandling of the cases on Tuesday, at the time saying it would consider releasing it after Cabinet had looked over the document.

However, Cabinet met on Thursday to discuss the review but decided against making it immediately public, despite growing pressure to do so.

Instead, it will likely be released early next week.

In 2016, the Nyland royal commission report into the child protection system was handed to the then-Labor Government on a Friday and was released the following Monday.

An inquiry into the Child Protection Department’s procedures and policies was launched in December after it was revealed two 13-year-old girls in state care had fallen pregnant to paedophiles and Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson was unaware until two men were convicted and sentenced for sexually abusing the children.

Premier Steven Marshall. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson MP. Picture: Matt Loxton

Premier Steven Marshall on Thursday said the review, by former judge Paul Rice, was not being immediately released because it was being reviewed.

“That Rice Review will undertake a full review to make sure that any specific sensitive references to any of the two vulnerable people included in that report have been redacted,” Mr Marshall said.

“The Attorney-General sought advice from the Crown regarding that.”

Asked why the names of the two children couldn’t have been redacted on Thursday to allow the report to be released that day, Mr Marshall said “Cabinet has sought advice from the Attorney-General”.

“We are acting as quickly as we can but we obviously need to be very sensitive to preserving...the issues around the two people who are...the subject of this inquiry so as soon as we’re satisfied that that has occurred we’ll be releasing the report,” he said.

Mr Marshall said Cabinet would again consider the report on Monday and he expected it to be made public “early next week”.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Katrine Hildyard said the “community deserves better than having to wait”.

“Why on earth would they need to review the findings?” she said.

“It raises serious questions about the findings and it raises serious questions about the lack of openness and transparency.”

Rob Martin, CEO of peak body Child and Family Focus SA, said the privacy of the young girls should be protected but the remainder of the report must be released.

He also called on ministers to implement Mr Rice’s recommendations in full “in order to regain public confidence in the government’s ability to keep children safe”.

Dr Martin said he would not support “naming and shaming” individual workers and was more interested in how the government would address “a systemic failure to properly share information”.