Royal commission: Carers reported sexualised behaviour by two girls but Families SA stayed inactive

THREE carers who reported sexualised behaviour by two girls, including one who said “Shannon do pat” while her nappy was being changed, have told a Royal Commission of Families SA’s inactive response.

Child sex offender Shannon McCoole

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THREE carers who reported sexualised behaviour by two girls — one of who allegedly said “Shannon do pat” as her nappy was being changed — have told a Royal Commission of Families SA’s inadequate response.

A foster carer said on Friday that she reported the young toddler’s comments, amid other abnormal behaviour, but her concerns were “brushed off” by a Families SA supervisor.

The Royal Commission into the state’s child protection system, which was triggered by the notorious crimes of Families SA child sex predator Shannon McCoole, heard this was prior to McCoole’s arrest in mid-2014.

The carer said the toddler also experienced night tremors where she referenced “Shannon” after being taken from a house where McCoole, who would later be exposed as the boss of an international child pornography ring, was caring for vulnerable children.

The carer said on Friday that the supervisor had told her “It was probably just someone she knew from previously being in care or someone from her past”.

“He kind of just brushed it off,” she said.

“He said he would check it out and that was the last I heard of it at my end. From my end it was completely like he didn’t care.”

The carer said she had called and reported the behaviour two or three times but gave up because of the way she was treated by the supervisor.

“I was concerned, it was serious behaviour,” she said.

“If I had known then what I know I would have gone a lot further with it.”

The foster carer said she had no idea who “Shannon” could have been at that stage but she expected the supervisor to “do his job” following her warning by investigating people who had cared for the girl while under the guardianship of the state.

Another carer said she had written an email to the supervisor after the toddler, now aged 5, had referenced “Shannon’s pee pee”.

“I was concerned because that is not something you generally hear from a child that age,” she said.

“I asked (the supervisor) about the name and he said he was looking into it but nothing happened.”

A NannySA carer, who had worked with McCoole, also told the commission she had overheard one of two sisters talking about sexual abuse perpetrated by a man.

She said she had assumed the girl had been speaking of her brother, who had abused her in the past, but reported the incident to a superior to investigate.

“I had a tendency to ask those sort of questions and I got shut down,” she said.

McCoole was last year jailed for 35 years.

The royal commission hearings continue on Monday.