Child Safety bungle forces woman to flee violent ex-partner

UPDATE: THE Child Safety Minister says she has personally apologised for the “unacceptable” mistake made by her department in giving personal details of a family in hiding to a violent ex-partner.

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CHILD Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman says she has personally apologised for the “unacceptable” mistake made by her department in giving personal details of a family in hiding to a violent ex-partner.

Ms Fentiman said she had called the woman at the centre of the bungle, as had her director-general, to personally apologise.

“This is a serious issue for the family involved and should never have happened,” she said.

“We continue to work closely with the family to ensure their ongoing safety.”

Opposition child safety spokeswoman Ros Bates said Ms Fentiman must accept full responsibility for this system failure and called for her job.

Ms Bates said it was unacceptable that a case worker was being “thrown under the bus” to stop the Minister from losing her job.

“Even the victims fear it is an overworked and struggling system that has failed her,” she said.

“How many other victims have been exposed in similar circumstances and put at risk?

“Premier, sack this Minister today.”

 

BUNGLE FORCES WOMAN TO FLEE VIOLENT EX

MS Fentiman’s public apology comes after The Courier-Mail revealed overnight that a woman was forced to flee for her life a second time after a major bungle saw the Child Safety Department give her dangerous former partner her and her children’s secret whereabouts.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, escaped the violent relationship in January, spending three days in a Bundaberg hospital for multiple fractures as her ex went on the run with two of their three sons for a week, aided by his family.

The man, who also cannot be named, is now in jail on remand as he awaits trial on 16 charges including three counts each of deprivation of liberty and torture, five counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, and strangulation.

Eleven days ago, he was sent paperwork by the Child Safety Department thrice naming the school the children attend, the name and organisation of their coun­sellor, and the local sports they play.

That was despite the same paperwork stating: “Child Safety is worried if there is any further violence, (father) could injure (mother) more severely than he has previously or kill her.

“Child Safety and (mother) are worried that (father) might be released from prison and try and locate (mother) and her children.”

The woman has been forced to leave her home and pull her children from school, on advice from police.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman last night admitted the costly error as the Ethical Standards Command launched a probe into the staff member involved.

“This was a serious and devastating mistake for the family involved and should never have happened,” Ms Fentiman said.

She said the director-general had apologised and the Government would pay for all moving costs as authorities scrambled to find the family a new home and school.

The woman, who alerted the department to the mistake, told The Courier-Mail the bungle had rocked her trust and she was worried that others were being put in harm’s way by overworked staff.

“My son worries that dad’s going to find us again one day,” she said. “How can I reassure him of that when people are literally handing out our information?”

Opposition child safety spokeswoman Ros Bates said revealing children’s information to an alleged offender on remand for torturing their mother was so serious, it required an apology from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk herself.

“Victims of domestic violence need to have confidence that the system will protect them, not leave them exposed,” she said.

“This is a complete breach of trust by Labor’s child safety system that has effectively re-traumatised a victim of alleged brutal domestic violence.”