Report lifts lid on child abuse in state care with up to 166 recent victims

CHILDREN as young as seven have been sexually abused in state care and teens in care are being groomed online for sex with older men, a damning new report shows.

21 Dec 2001 Silhouette of young woman seated in doorway, date rape victim in Adelaide. Sexual Assault crime sa sex generic

CHILDREN as young as seven have been sexually abused in state care and teens in care are being groomed online for sex with older men, a damning new report shows.

The cases of up to 166 children recently abused were assessed by the office of Commissioner for Children and Young People Bernie Geary, including some who were attacked multiple times.

One 14-year-old was exploited by numerous men, the report says, including “known child sex offenders”.

The startling abuse has led Mr Geary to call for “radical” changes to state residential care systems, and for a push towards more kinship care as an alternative.

“We believe that it is time to draw a line in the sand and to move forward in a proactive child-focused manner,’’ Mr Geary said.

Shocking cases outlines in the report include:

CHILDREN groomed by older males and exploited by external predators;

FOUR children abused by workers in state care;

A 15-year-old girl treated with Panadol after claiming she had a miscarriage after being raped by older men;

AN intellectually disabled 14-year-old boy abused by older men after being targeted online;

A 10-year-old punched and kicked by other children and who was also sexually assaulted by a staff member;

A 12-year-old boy treated like a dog by an older child and led around with a belt around his neck before being sexually abused.

The report highlighted serious failings in the system, and said finding a child a bed was often the top priority, regardless of whether it was in the child’s best interest.

“This Inquiry found that the monitoring of residential care, a task that is undertaken by the Department, is based on contractual performance only,” it says.

“There is little to no monitoring of compliance with service standards and virtually no focus on outcomes for children in care.

“This includes children with disabilities and children as young as five years of age being placed with children with known sexually problematic or abusive behaviours. This creates the opportunity for child-to-child sexual abuse to occur thereby facilitating an environment where abuse can occur.”

The damning report called for systemic reform, and highlighted that residential care costs $200,000 to $1 million per placement, each year.

One recommendation was to create a clearer reporting scheme for sexual abuse, which the investigation found was inadequate and haphazard.

The report includes a case study of a 14-year-old girl in residential care who was raped after being refused a lift home by staff when she called from a train station.

The staff member who refused her request was the only person on duty that night.

Another case study was of a 13-year-old Aboriginal girl who described being in a “relationship” with a 24-year-old man.

“Residential care staff involved with her case appeared to accept the status of the older male as a ‘boyfriend’ rather than viewing his behaviour as exploitative and illegal,” the report says.

The girl was often missing from her unit and “was believed to be in the company of numerous older males, including the 24-year-old ‘boyfriend’”, the report says.

There were no records of a police investigation, and the report shows that by the age of 14, the girl “continued to experience sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by numerous men, some of whom were as old as 50 and known child sex offenders”.

Opposition spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the report was upsetting.

“The safety and well-being of these children has to be the top priority and Daniel Andrews must work with the commission to act on these findings.

“These are heart-breaking stories and the Coalition will support efforts to urgently address the changes required with a month by month report on progress.”

Minister for Choldren Jenny Mikakos confirmed three workers were sacked and reported to police after abuse against children was proved.

“I was appalled and distressed by this report. There is no quick fix, but we are determined to put in place the long term changes needed.”

Ms Mikakos announced $1 million in funding to improve conditions in residential care units.

Earlier this year she announced 110 new child protection workers would be employed including a new task force to deal with sexploitation.

The hiring is ongoing.

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