Horror number of state care rape reports, two more girls pregnant
Shocking new figures have revealed alarming numbers of sexual offence charges laid over incidents involving children in state care.
Save Our Kids
Mum slams ‘pack of animals’ who raped teen daughter
The mother of a teen girl raped in state care has labelled her attackers a ‘pack of animals’ and says authorities let her daughter down.
Girl implanted with birth control for ‘ongoing’ rapes in state care
Sexual abuse against an intellectually disabled 13-year-old in residential care was so prevalent, she had to have a contraceptive implant.
Forget PC, catapult these monsters off of the planet
Those who hurt society’s most vulnerable deserve the most severe deterrent – but too often their punishment is woefully inadequate, writes Rebecca Whitfield-Baker.
‘Nobody hears these stories’: The people saving kids from real-life monsters
Day and night, SA’s child abuse call centre staff are the first responders for kids experiencing unimaginable cruelty. This is what happens in one of the state’s toughest jobs.
Carers blow whistle as men trade drugs for sex with underage kids
Workers supervising children in state care say middle aged men are paying girls as young as 11 for sex with money, drugs and nicotine “literally weekly”.
Watchdog slams ‘tragic reality’ of SA’s broke child protection system
An investigation into Department of Child Protection failings when dealing with two families has revealed years worth of a problems, the state ombudsman says.
New Child Protection CEO’s surprising druggie parents opinion
We sat down with the Child Protection Department’s new boss – and received some matter-of-fact responses to our questions.
‘We’re gangsters’: Inside the kids’ gang terrorising a town
While most of Port Augusta sleeps, dozens of wayward youths roam the streets unsupervised, clinging on to moving buses and dodging police.
New child protection boss pledges to ‘inspire new culture’ of transparency
A highly respected government bureaucrat has won the job as the state’s new child protection chief, and revealed her plans for the embattled department.
Child Protection took toddler and placed her with a pedophile
Child Protection removed a toddler from her “unstable” mother and placed her with her father – who subjected the girl to some of the most “abhorrent” abuse seen by the courts.
Interim child protection boss reveals her first move
She may only be in the job for a matter of weeks but the interim head of the state’s Child Protection Department has plans to get straight down to the coalface.
Court order: Key details in child death case kept secret
A mother charged with manslaughter is the last of three accused charged over high-profile unrelated child deaths to face court – but key details have been suppressed.
‘Unprecedented’ death arrests: These children were ‘owed a duty of care’
Police say task force investigations led to three arrests this morning over the deaths of three innocent children – Jasmine Wilmott, Makai Wanganeen and Charlie Nowland.
‘She’s done nothing wrong’: Crystal’s family rallies to her defence
The family of Crystal Nowland says the “still grieving” mum will fight the manslaughter charge over the death of little Charlie. Watch the arrest video here.
‘Top priority’: Experts called in to advise on child deaths, neglect
Top minds from around the country have been brought in to advise the state government on fixing South Australia’s child protection mess.
Charlie’s mum freed on bail to live in ‘squalid’ home
A Munno Para mother facing manslaughter charges over the death of her daughter will be free to return to her home, despite facing eviction.
Key new job for SA senator in Dutton cabinet reshuffle
A South Australian senator has been appointed the Coalition’s new child protection spokeswoman, amid claims of widespread child sexual abuse in Alice Springs.
Multiple failures: So many missed chances to save Zhane
Zhane Chilcott was just 13 when he took his own life in state care, after 18 different placements across his too-short life. Now a court has ruled on what could have saved him.
Mali told ‘be bold’ on cheap fixes for child protection shame
South Australia will not stand a chance of turning the tide on its child protection failures without a major change, the Premier’s been warned.
Huge shake-up looms for child safety – but could kids be missed?
A major change to SA child protection laws would mean a lot more kids aren’t reported for checks to swamped authorities – but could it have fatal consequences?
Outgoing Child Protection Department boss’s new job revealed
Cathy Taylor will head to Queensland for a key new public service role, almost two months after announcing her resignation.
Computer outage ‘put vulnerable children at risk’
Child protection staff have told their union how a system outage left them unable to access important information to properly look after vulnerable kids last week.
Hildyard knew about pregnant girls in state care in March
The child protection minister has revealed she found out that several girls in state care were pregnant as soon as she took up the portfolio in March 2022.
Starved, locked up … but Child Protection did nothing for years
Kaydenn’s “carer” neglected the vulnerable teen so badly he looked like a starvation victim. A chain was put on the fridge. He was locked in his room. And authorities let it happen.
Staggering number of SA babies born into danger
Thousands of babies are being born into SA homes where they’re at risk before they can even walk or talk.
Sport v vulnerable kids: Questions arise over minister’s priority
Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard’s diary records, released under Freedom of Information, reflect she has dedicated more hours to her sport, recreation and racing portfolio.
12 kids removed from parents following safety checks
The state government has revealed how many children have been removed from the care of their parents following checks on 526 kids in particularly high-risk settings.
‘Won’t be easy’: Premier to begin looking for new DCP head ‘immediately’
The premier has begun the challenging process of replacing outgoing child protection head Cathy Taylor, with the embattled executive to stay in the role until the position is filled.
‘Incredibly difficult work’: Child Protection boss Cathy Taylor quits
Embattled Child Protection Department boss Cathy Taylor has resigned in the wake of recent revelations about child deaths. The CP Minister has “wholeheartedly” thanked her for her service.
‘Doesn’t make sense’: Expert’s call on shocking child protection death figure
An alarming statistic revealed about children who have had contact with SA’s system could be addressed by one critical measure.
No link between child deaths and reports, head of DCP says
The DCP boss has denied a link between child deaths and reports to the department: “Children die and they may have been reported … but it has nothing to do with the department.”
Child promised protection – then allegedly sexually assaulted again
An alleged 13-year-old child rape victim who the Child Protection Minister assured would be provided with support has allegedly been the victim of a second sexual assault by another man.
‘I woke, felt he was cold and screamed’: Teen mum’s agony over baby’s death
A teenage mother woke to the cold weight of her dead 11-week-child on her arm. Since then her life has been under the microscope of an inquest – here for the first time are her words.
Abusive parents come first in ‘forced visits’ terrifying SA kids
Terrified children are being forced to visit with the parents who abused them, causing enormous trauma. Read the troubling cases here.
‘Treated like criminals’: Foster carers investigated for trivial concerns
Sending a child to school without a jumper or forgetting to sign their diary may be a minor mishap for biological parents. For foster carers they can trigger investigations, an inquiry has found.
Department aware teen mum was victim of statutory rape
The Child Protection Department was aware that a 15-year-old girl was “trying for her second child” with her 17-year-old boyfriend – but did nothing inquest documents reveal.
‘Heartbreak on top of heartbreak’: Premier in the dark on baby deaths
Premier Peter Malinauskas was unaware of the deaths of four babies known to the Child Protection Department, which were only revealed in a report kept secret for four years.
Inquest hears supervisor told not to investigate baby before death
Child Protection workers shelved a report about an unborn baby at risk – and again when the new-born was found in squalor – before the 11-week old died, an inquest has heard.
Almost 300 at-risk kids still waiting on safety checks
Police and social workers still need to check on about 290 at-risk children identified in a top-level report to government last month.
Black box that sums up SA Child Protection Dept’s abject failure
This should be a photo of a smiling baby – a boy the Child Protection Dept knew was in trouble but utterly failed. Now they’ve threatened legal action over his blurred face.
‘Lucky dip’: Opposition’s savage blast at Child Protection Dept
The Child Protection Department has no system in place to prioritise checks on at-risk kids – prompting a savage response from the SA Liberals.
Nameless and faceless: Baby’s death not made public for years
On the eve of an inquest into the death of a baby boy living in squalid conditions – not made public for years – the Department for Child Protection has won a court order to suppress critical details.
Child protection staff ‘exhausted, disillusioned’ and leaving in droves
Staff churn in the Child Protection Department has hit its highest-ever rate – prompting calls for action before the tide of cases reaches a crisis point.
Little Jimmy’s mum walks free after neglect charges dropped
All charges against a mother accused over horrific burns and bruising to her young son have been dropped – but the boy’s uncle now faces much more serious allegations.
500 unanswered questions on SA’s ‘urgent’ bombshell on at-risk kids
Authorities will not say how many of the 500 at-risk children identified in a top-level report to government have so far received a welfare check.
Parents face fines for keeping kids from school
Parents who are keeping their children away from school are in the sights of the Education Minister, as parents of seven young people face prosecution.
Top cop says police will be ‘last resort’ in checks on at-risk SA kids
Two days ago the Premier announced police would check on 500 children at “high risk” of neglect. Now our top cop says officers will only be brought in as a “last resort”.
The Malinauskas government’s strange addiction to taskforces
Taskforces, committees, commissions … the state government has a go-to tactic when bad news emerges. But what are these reviews actually achieving, asks Kathryn Bermingham.
Child Protection boss ‘monitored’ by Premier, but is her job safe?
The Premier will not rule out firing the Child Protection CEO, as it’s revealed police are racing to check on 500 children living in “high-risk” situations under her watch.
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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/topics/save-our-kids