Victoria spent $3 million moving alleged 12-year-old killer between homes

Victoria spent more than $3 million moving a 12-year-old girl in child protection through unsafe temporary accommodation before she allegedly stabbed a woman to death in Melbourne’s inner west last year.

Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan said an inquiry into the case had uncovered some of the most profound failures she had ever seen and was an extreme manifestation of the troubled child protection system.

Liana Buchanan, Victoria’s Commissioner for Children and Young People.Credit: Justin McManus

It came as she reported 190 sexual assault complaints by children in out of home care and a surge in the number of allegations of abuse.

In her annual report, Buchanan detailed for the first time parts of her investigation into the 12-year-old girl, who is referred to as “WD” because she cannot be named for legal reasons.

The now 13-year-old, who lives with an intellectual disability, was charged with murdering a 37-year-old woman at a Footscray apartment in November 2023 and granted bail the next day. The charges were dropped after she was assessed as “doli incapax”, which describes the inability of children under a certain age to form criminal intent.

Buchanan found that WD had spent three years being moved through 10 different inappropriate and unsafe “contingency care” placements, costing the state more than $3 million. The placements are meant to be temporary emergency options for children who cannot be matched to foster carers and residential homes.

Her experiences at these places led her to run away more often, with authorities reporting her missing hundreds of times, in some cases for days at a time.

Before her arrest, she was known to prominent youth workers, including the late Les Twentyman, who believed men were forcing her into sex work.

“Between Child Protection, Victoria Police and care providers, efforts to respond to WD’s absences and to ensure her safety were ineffective,” the report found.

In her foreword, Buchanan said the case had exposed “some of the most profound service system failures I have seen”.

Children Minister Lizzie Blandthorn.Credit: Diego Fedele

“The case of WD reflected the extreme manifestation of so many of the problems we have seen across systemic inquiries from the last few years, with devastating consequences.

“For the first time, I decided to share an individual inquiry with the Premier of Victoria, as I am determined that WD’s experience prompts real change – starting with the 19 recommendations we made in this inquiry.

“Too often, the suffering and harm that results from pressured, ill-equipped service systems is invisible, even to many in government.”

Buchanan called for systemic change and found that WD’s case further exposed why child protection, police and other agencies need to improve their responses when children go missing from state care. She found responses to the “increasing and extreme harm” to the girl were ineffective and staff appeared to be fatigued, desensitised and lacking in co-ordination.

Earlier this week, The Age revealed the department had received 66 reports of deaths of children since 2020.

Over the past year, the commissioner’s office completed 45 child death inquiries. These figures include those known to child protection in the 12 months before their death, meaning they use a larger data set than the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

There were 190 incidents of sexual exploitation recorded over this period, down from 239 the year before.

Buchanan’s office also received 1892 reports of allegations of child abuse, a 30 per cent increase on 2022-23 and a 136 per cent increase since 2017, when Victoria introduced a reportable conduct scheme.

“These numbers are both cause for optimism and concern – optimism because conduct harmful to children and young people is being identified, investigated and addressed; concern because it is clear we are still uncovering the scale of this problem,” Buchanan said.

Children Minister Lizzie Blandthorn said contingency placements were a small part of the system and only one child was in this type of care right now.

“Across the state, we are leading efforts to combat those who prey on vulnerable and traumatised children who are in care,” she said.

After WD was bailed and released back into the care of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the department sought broad suppression orders to prevent the media reporting on large parts of the case, including its management of the girl.

The department secretary, who has parental responsibility for WD, moved her into a secure welfare facility, but after issues arose, they attempted to have her bail revoked, which was refused.

Earlier this year, the court heard the government intended to build an expensive facility to house WD, with the matter due to return to court later this year.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Roma Britnell said the commissioner’s report highlighted the government’s “shameful failure” to keep vulnerable children safe.