Teenage girls in state care found overdosed at hotel, before one reported a sexual assault

A shocking incident involving four children in state care has been revealed by the former Department for Child Protection chief executive.

Teenage girls in state care were found overdosed on drugs at a northern suburbs hotel, before one was taken to hospital in an ambulance and a sexual assault was reported.

The incident, confirmed by former Department for Child Protection chief Cathy Taylor, happened at the Highlander Hotel at Gilles Plains in October last year.

In response to questions taken on notice in a parliamentary committee, Ms Taylor said four young people in residential care were involved, and one of the group contacted emergency services.

Asked by One Nation MLC Sarah Game whether the young people were “drugged/tranquillised, perhaps with Xanax, and then sexually abused”, Ms Taylor said SA Ambulance and SA Police responded to a call for assistance in connection with a medical episode.

Former DCP chief executive Cathy Taylor. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier

“An alleged sexual assault was disclosed the following day and SA Police was advised and medical support was arranged,” she said.

Ms Taylor did not confirm or deny suggestions that the girl who was taken to hospital had “almost died” and required CPR and four doses of adrenaline.

However, she confirmed the girl had previously overdosed.

A SA Police spokeswoman said there was an investigation into the alleged sexual assault, but no charges were laid.

She said a general expiation notice was issued to a 20-year-old woman linked to the incident, but not in relation to the sexual assault.

The Advertiser posed a series of questions about the details of the incident to the Department for Child Protection, including whether other people were involved, but did not receive responses.

A spokesman for Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said she was notified at the time and sought assurances about the wellbeing of the young people involved, and what supports were being provided to them.

“Upon becoming Minister, the Minister made significant changes to notifiable incidents processes to help ensure they were more robust and timely, and to ensure that, in addition to notifications about particular incidents, she be provided with thematic reports to help identify possible improvements to systems, processes and responses,” he said.