Labor calls for release of child protection report immediately after State Cabinet considers it

The Opposition is calling on the State Government to release child protection report into the abuse of two children in state care on Thursday.

Labor MP Katrine Hildyard

The State Government must immediately make public a report into the Child Protection Department’s handling of the sexual abuse of two children in state care after Cabinet considers the document on Thursday, the Opposition says.

Pressure is mounting on the Government to release the review, 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

Former Judge Paul Rice led the inquiry and handed his report to the Government on Tuesday.

Premier Steven Marshall on Tuesday said the Government would deal with the issue as a matter of urgency.

He said the government would not consider releasing the report, in full or with redactions, until Cabinet had considered its contents.

Labor child protection spokeswoman Katrine Hildyard called on the Government to be “open and transparent” and make public the full review immediately following the Cabinet meeting.

“Premier Steven Marshall has said the report will be raised in Cabinet, he said it will be dealt with urgently, so we expect this report to be released (on Thursday), she said.

“The Marshall Liberal Government must be open and transparent, release this document and its recommendations, and tell our South Australian community what went wrong, and what is being done so this never happens again.”

In 2016, the Liberals, in Opposition at the time, expected the Nyland royal commission report into the child protection system to be released straight away, claiming the-then Labor Government was withholding the findings because it received the document on a Friday “but will not release it until Monday”.

A government spokeswoman on Wednesday said: “As outlined on Tuesday, the report will be considered by Cabinet”.