Hildyard cancels meeting with dad who report strangling fears

A worried father’s fears for his children’s safety will be investigated, the government says, but his meeting with the minister was suddenly cancelled.

The Child Protection Department will investigate a worried father’s claims that his ex-partner tried to strangle one of their young daughters, following reporting of the case by The Advertiser.

However, Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard cancelled a promised meeting with the man just hours before it was due to take place.

The man first raised the alarm in January when he says the eldest of his two daughters, aged 7, told him her mother had “grabbed my neck and squeezed”.

He took the girl to hospital where a mandatory notification was made to the department, and the disclosure was reported to police the next day.

SA Minister for Child Protection Katrine Hildyard. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier.

The father said he called and emailed multiple people within the department and minister’s office over the past eight months but has never had a response from authorities about what safeguards, if any, could be put in place to ensure the girls are safe.

Following contact from The Advertiser on September 23, Ms Hildyard’s office arranged a meeting for Wednesday, October 5 – but the man says this was cancelled just hours beforehand.

He was told it may be rescheduled for a later date, but was given no timeline.

The man said the department had advised him the previous evening that it would launch an investigation into his daughter’s disclosure of alleged abuse.

He said he was told that investigation would involve interviewing his daughters, aged 6 and 7.

The man fears for their safety because he said his ex-partner allegedly committed abuse against him and the children during their relationship.

“How are they going to make sure that the children and I stay safe if that goes ahead?” he said on Wednesday.

“That was going to be one of my questions to the minister.”

A government spokesperson said: “Yesterday the Minister was advised that a new investigation had commenced.The meeting is being rescheduled to take place at a more appropriate time.”

The department said it took all claims about child safety seriously but did not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.

When The Advertiser first raised the man’s concerns last month, the department said it was “aware of the family and the needs of the children”.

It said “services are in place to support the children” but did not elaborate.

A spokesman for Ms Hildyard at the time said: “These matters were brought to the attention of the minister’s office and the minister ensured they were referred to the Department of Child Protection for further examination.”

Both the department and Ms Hildyard’s office said allegations of a criminal nature “have been referred to SA Police”.

The Advertiser’s Save Our Kids campaign is lobbying for improvements to the child protection system following the high-profile deaths of two children.