More than 400 NT children harmed after Territory Families deemed them safe

MORE than 400 Territory children were harmed within a year after Territory Families deemed them safe, new statistics show

More than 400 Territory children were harmed within a year after Territory Families deemed them safe, new statistics show

MORE than 400 Territory children were harmed within a year after Territory Families deemed them safe, new statistics show.

The NT News can reveal that 427 kids were harmed within 12 months of being given the all-clear.

Latest figures from the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services show the number of children harmed in 2017-18 after Territory Families chose not to pursue a report of their mistreatment.

The report, which covers Australia’s child protective services, shows 10.8 per cent of children who were the subject of reports not pursued by Territory Families were then harmed within 12 months.

It also showed 117 children – or 3 per cent – of kids who were the subject of dismissed reports were harmed within three months.

The percentage of kids harmed within three months had improved only slightly from the 2016-17 report which showed that 108 – or 3.4 per cent – of kids were harmed after a dismissed report. There was no improvement on the 2015-16 figures which showed that 94 – or 3 per cent – of kids were harmed.

More than 400 Territory children were harmed within a year after Territory Families deemed them safe, new statistics show

The number of kids harmed within 12 months of a dismissed report in 2017-18 was the highest in the past decade, with a steady increase of numbers each year from 196 in 2008-9.

Compared to other states, the NT had the fourth-highest number of kids harmed within 12 months of a dismissed report following Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

This is despite the fact that the NT Government spends significantly more on child protection services than any other jurisdiction at around $3300 per child aged 0-17 years. The second highest spender is South Australia at around $1500 per child.

National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect NT manager Lesley Taylor said the “unacceptable” outcomes were a result of poor communication within governments.

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“Those numbers are not going to change until local, state and federal government have a way of communicating how their services are being co-ordinated,” she said.

“It requires a long-term commitment. That’s what we’re missing in the Territory.”

A Territory Families spokeswoman said the alarming figures were part of a “longstanding trend that can be attributed to the size, population and complex social, economic and other disadvantages experienced in the Northern Territory”.

“Following the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, Territory Families initiated a full reform of the child protection service to improve the way child protection concerns are received and how Territory Families responds,” the spokeswoman said.

Deputy Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the figures were “hugely concerning”.

“The safety of a child must come first and if elected, a CLP government will move Youth Justice to Corrections so Territory Families has a sole focus on the care and protection of our most vulnerable children.”

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The report showed almost half of Territory kids – 446 out of the total 1056 – in out-of-home care in 2019 had been there for five years or more.

Of the children in care, 403 were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

The Territory Families spokeswoman said the department made “significant efforts to ensure that children are reunified with their family whenever possible”.