Relatives call for independent review into alleged twin baby assaults on the Gold Coast

RELATIVES to twin babies allegedly assaulted in their homes under Child Safety’s watch on the Gold Coast have demanded a review into the department after one of the children was left in intensive care with severe head injuries on life support.

FAMILY members are calling for an independent review into Child Safety after twin Gold Coast babies under the department’s watch were allegedly assaulted.

A report in the Gold Coast Bulletin’s weekend edition revealed a baby girl presented to the Gold Coast University Hospital on July 11 with severe head injuries. Her twin brother also had a head injury.

A family member told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “There should be a review, but not from the government. There needs to be an independent review. The Department (of Child Safety) is broken. They won’t fix it.”

The alleged assault involving Gold Coast twins is being investigated by police.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has learned the twins were born premature and endured health problems along with their elder sibling, all while under the care of Child Safety.

The female twin who sustained the worst injuries was on life support but has begun breathing normally, enabling her to be removed from intensive care.

“When they were born you could have put them in the palm of your hand,” the relative said.

Child Safety staff at Nerang were responsible for monitoring allegations of child abuse and case workers at Mermaid Beach had handled issues around family reunification, the family member said.

The relative of the twins believes they would have been better protected if there had been more stability in Child Care case workers and experienced staffers working on the case.

“They rotate their staff too much,” the relative said. “Every eight weeks we’re looking at a different case worker. Those case workers, they’re only kids.”

Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates has raised concerns about Child Safety staffing. Picture: Jerad Williams

Police are investigating whether the injuries to the twins are consistent with shaking. No charges have been laid.

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Emergency Service sources maintain the injuries to the twins occurred against a background of violence.

But the family member told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “There is no domestic violence in that house.”

The Gold Coast Bulletin in a report in October 2016 began highlighting the Coast’s child abuse crisis after at least one-fifth of critical cases involving suspected child abuse were not being investigated within the required 24 hours.

Confidential data showed 20 per cent of the urgent 24-hour investigations where a child may be in danger of harm or neglect were being missed at the Mermaid Beach office.

Ros Bates has asked Minister Di Farmer to provide more information about the case. Pic Annette Dew

Opposition frontbencher and Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates, at the time, said the response times at the Nerang office for children needing to be seen within five days had also dipped with 20 per cent of cases missing the deadline.

Ms Bates yesterday said it was obvious that the system of care on the Coast under the Palaszczuk Government had not improved.

“As a mother and a nurse it breaks my heart to see these twin babies still in hospital,” she said.

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“The system is failing vulnerable kids in Queensland and we are sick of Labor’s excuses.

“Queenslanders deserve to know that our child safety system is doing its job.

“It’s not good enough for the Minister to keep ducking and hiding from the tough questions.

“Our child safety system is going from bad to worse under Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor.”

The Bulletin has sent 18 questions to the office of Child Safety Minister Di Farmer who in a statement responded by saying “I am very concerned about these children” but was unable to provide more details for privacy reasons.

Ms Farmer last night said: “The circumstances leading to the injuries suffered by these children will be the subject of a thorough investigation. It is not appropriate for me to comment on any allegations at this time.”