Surf warning: Lifesaving told to improve child safety to stop wave of assaults at Gold Coast clubs
Surf Life Saving Qld has issued a statement on its internal review into culture after whistleblowers and alleged victims came forward. But there is a glaring omission: Where is the full report?
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OPINION: SURF Life Saving Qld has issued a statement on its internal review into culture. But there is a glaring omission. It’s like lifesavers checking all the gear and not putting the flags up. Where is the consultant’s report?
Consultants spoke to about 1000 stakeholders, from surf’s 34,000 members. They identified areas for improvement – on child safety, bullying and poor governance. Seven recommendations were “all accepted unreservedly by the board of directors”.
This is a step forward.
But SLSQ told members: “There was no evidence of overt discrimination or sexual abuse, systemic or otherwise, identified during the review.
However, some inappropriate behaviour was reported.”
The Bulletin has reported and referred SLSQ’s management to complaints made by whistleblowers, including a sex tape involving a minor being shared by a Coast clubbie, and footage posted on Facebook by Sunshine Coast surf stars mucking around in shower rooms.
A file tabled by the SLSQ board included allegations of a lifesaver being drunk on duty, sexual harassment and staff kickbacks.
Separate to all these matters was the reporting in February of an alleged rape at a Coast clubhouse, followed by a complaint by a surf lifesaving family to a Gold Coast MP calling for the end to the “boys’ club”.
Only last month, shocking details emerged of how two young nippers in separate incidents were allegedly sexually abused at the Currumbin club.
Shine Lawyers confirmed the firm has two current matters against the club, and an older claim had been settled. Some settlements have led to multimillion-dollar payouts.
Lawyers have noted a trend in the complaints, in which clients were lured into the bathrooms and away from their teammates during club sleepovers.
This is not just some “inappropriate behaviour”.
SLSQ’s board of directors need to be accountable here.
Release the full report.
Show us how you intend to protect not just the beaches, but your youngest members under care.
Lifesavers told to fix child safety after assault claims
A REVIEW into Surf Life Saving Queensland has recommended improving child safety and a better handling of the complaints process for members.
But the full report from a review started in June, has not been released.
In a series of reports since 2019, the Bulletin has revealed complaints by whistleblowers, including a sex tape involving a minor being shared by a Coast clubbie, and allegations of
a lifesaver being drunk on duty, sexual harassment and staff kickbacks.
In February, a member was charged with rape at a Coast clubhouse — this is not related to any other incident — and a surf lifesaving family wrote to a Gold Coast MP calling for the end to the “boys club”.
A month later SLSQ announced a review into culture and behaviour by consultants Suiko.
After receiving 873 survey responses, speaking to market focus groups and conducting one-on-one interviews, the following recommendations to SLSQ included:
* Improving child safety, which involves refreshing policies and training materials aligned to those used nationally by child safe organisations.
* Improving the complaints handling process by updating reporting systems and processes which help identify inappropriate behaviour.
* Adopting a zero tolerance stance for bullying, harassment and abuse, which includes updating of education and training materials.
* Implementing a “club health check” which sets minimum standards on governance.
* Introducing an annual PULSE (cultural) survey to benchmark club performance.
Other recommendations include streamlining policies and adopting targets used by the Queensland government to help diversity, targeting youth, multicultural communities and females.
SLSQ CEO Dave Whimpey thanked 1000 participants for their time, thoughtfulness and honesty when participating in the review.
“We initiated this independent review earlier in the year as we wanted to provide our members with an opportunity to feel seen and heard,” he said in a statement.
“Our intention behind commissioning this independent review was also to enact positive change in our organisation.
“We thank the 1000 current and former members, who shared their experience at SLSQ.
“This knowledge will help us learn from our past as we strive towards an equitable, safe future for our 34,000 volunteers.”
Senior lifesavers have told the Bulletin the full report by the consultants should have been released to members.
“What’s been released is very bland and very generic. The inquiry was created by the rape allegation at the Coast club,” a senior SLSQ member said.
“Given the allegations of rape and historical child abuse, how was this addressed in the review? What were the findings?
“Was there confidence in senior management? Will surf be releasing the report in full?”
In a report early last month, the Bulletin detailed how two young nippers in separate incidents had allegedly been sexually abused at the Currumbin Surf Lifesaving Club.
Shine Lawyers confirmed the firm had two matters against the club, and an older claim had been settled.
The allegations, involving the Nippers program in the 1980s and 1990s, involve alleged sexual abuse during overnight sleepovers at the club. Young boys were allegedly lured into the bathrooms and away from their teammates.
Lawyers involved in cases involving multimillion-dollar payouts have commented on the failings of supervisions involving sleepovers at clubs, and called for an independent review. Some members suggest a Commission of Inquiry is needed.
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