Anthony Albanese has rejected an accusation on child abuse

Anthony Albanese has tersely rejected an accusation laid against him by Peter Dutton during his controversial visit to Alice Springs.

Anthony Albanese has sharply rejected accusations he was made aware of – and ignored – claims sexually abused Indigenous children were being returned to their abusers.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in Alice Springs last week, made the assertion that those children were “put back into the hands of the abuser”.

“There is nothing in the Indigenous culture that makes that acceptable,” Mr Dutton said, saying it would not be accepted anywhere else in Australia.

“Yet here, somehow it’s accepted as normal practice and we’re destroying the lives of those young Indigenous kids and it’s unacceptable.

“The Prime Minister needs to take responsibility. He was made aware of it last year.”

But Mr Albanese flatly rejected the allegation during an interview on ABC’s 7.30 on Monday.

“The inference was that you failed to act. Is that true?” host Sarah Ferguson asked Mr Albanese, to which he replied: “No.”

“That is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Anthony Albanese has rejected an accusation he ignored Indigenous child sex abuse claims raised by Peter Dutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

He said he is not aware of any such information being put before them, but conceded “there may well be a letter somewhere”.

“I have no idea of what (Mr Dutton’s claim) is based upon .... but he has not raised any specific issue about any claim, about any individual circumstance with me,” Mr Albanese said. “If he did, I would say to him that he should report that to the police.”

Peter Dutton press conference in Alice Springs

Mr Dutton made the claim while campaigning in the Alice alongside CLP senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price against the Voice to Parliament.

They said the Voice would do little to address the issues many Indigenous communities like Alice Springs were facing – including child sexual abuse.

Senator Price said added layers of bureaucracy – which “no” campaigners claim the Voice will amount to – will not solve the issue.

The former deputy mayor of Alice Springs said she instead wanted to see more police officers on the ground.

“Community members are just crying out for support,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Albanese said the Solicitor-General’s advice to the government on the wording of the Voice referendum question would be released, but gave few details.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Alice Springs after meeting with local leaders in January. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sabine Haider

But he indicated that the full version of the advice, which was submitted to Cabinet, will not be revealed.

“I will say that the Solicitor-General’s view will be made very clear by himself through the Attorney-General which is the appropriate forum for it to take,” Mr Albanese said.

“The documentation that goes to the cabinet, like any other cabinet document, doesn’t get released.”

Mr Albanese said Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus would be responsible for releasing the information.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese has rejected an accusation on child abuse