No red flags despite Blue Card checks on childcare rape accused

The Attorney-General has confirmed Queensland’s Blue Card system can factor in ‘investigative information’ if notified following revelations checks were done on a childcare worker accused of raping 91 girls.

Blue card checks on a childcare worker accused of raping 91 girls picked up no red flags, with Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath confirming the state’s system can factor in “investigative information” if notified.

A Gold Coast man, 45, was recently hit with more than 1623 charges for alleged offences including rape against 91 children in childcare centres in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas between 2007 and 2022.

He was investigated by Queensland Police in 2021 and 2022 but there was “insufficient evidence” to charge him.

The man’s Blue Card was suspended the same day the Australian Federal Police notified Queensland authorities of the sexual assault charges.

Ms D’Ath, speaking at budget estimates, said the man returned a clean criminal history check and no concerning information—including “disciplinary or investigate”—or other adverse information was detected during ongoing screening.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

She said in general it was also up to police to decide when the state’s Blue Card system is informed an investigation is being undertaken into someone with a working with children licence so they can be suspended.

“As such where there is covert surveillance and investigations happening it is up to police to advise us at what point the person can be aware that an investigation is occurring.”

A QPS spokesman said “when insufficient evidence exists to charge a person, appropriate action is taken and relevant agencies are notified”

Queensland Police has previously confirmed a report was filed pending further information following the 2021 and 2022 probes, and an internal review in the aftermath of Operation Tenterfield found the investigations were conducted by the book.

It comes as Ms D’Ath was grilled on the state’s progress in implementing 81 recommendations to strengthen the Blue Card system in the aftermath of the murder of schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer.

A total of 28 recommendations have been completed while 49 are still in progress and work on four not yet commenced due to being dependent on other changes being made first.

At least one recommendation—which called for a legal threshold controlling what information police can hand over to the Blue Card system to be lowered—has been scrapped.

“Based on an extensive review of investigations, QPS provided advice that legislative changes were not required with respect to the sharing of ‘suspect’ information to Blue Card Services,” a QPS spokesman said.

“In the vast majority of investigations, it was found that a person is advised they are a suspect on the same day they are interviewed and charged with an offence. An automated process ensures Blue Card Services is notified which triggers a reassessment of the person’s Blue Card.”