Alleged abuse by young boy sparks tensions in regional town

A boy aged six is accused of sexually abusing another child, in a case which underscores the challenges of intergenerational trauma of child sexual abuse.

The operator of the daycare centre that both boys attended says privacy restrictions have left it open to ‘unfounded, unproven or unreasonable criticism’. Image: supplied

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An alleged incident of sexual abuse by a six-year-old Indigenous ward of the state against another child has sparked anger and division in a regional Western Australian town.

The mother of the boy allegedly abused by the other child has spoken out over her frustrations with the way her complaint has been handled and her fear that other children could be at risk, amid suggestions the same boy may have been involved in an ­earlier incident.

That same mother has now been hit with two violence restraining orders, while the boy allegedly behind the abuse is understood to have left the town amid concerns for his safety.

The operator of the daycare centre that both boys attended says privacy restrictions have left it open to “unfounded, unproven or unreasonable criticism”.

The case underscores the challenges of managing young children caught up in the inter­generational trauma of child sexual abuse, particularly in regional Australia, the conflict that can arise between supporting children in state care who come from traumatic backgrounds, supporting other children who may be at risk from the behaviour of those traumatised children, and the difficulties that can arise when privacy obligations leave concerned parents without answers and allow rumour and innuendo to spread.

Laws prohibit publication of information that identifies, or may identify, child sexual abuse victims. We have chosen not to name the regional town where the woman and her children live, and the school and daycare centre the children attended.

To protect those parties, The Australian is using pseudonyms for the children and the mother.

The saga began in May when Amanda, a single mother who works in the mining industry, invited a boy named Michael to join her and her two young children, Henry and Amelia, for a play date at the beach. The three children attended the same daycare centre while Michael and Henry attended the same primary school.

That evening, when Amanda asked her children about the play date, she said her son responded by saying that Michael was “very, very naughty” and her daughter made a reference to Michael’s “dingaling”. When Amanda asked her son whether Michael had shown him his “dingaling”, she said he responded by saying “How did you know?”.

After being alerted to the concerns, the children’s father travelled to the town from Perth to talk to his son about the episode. It was then, Amanda said, that Henry revealed further details about the alleged abuse.

“He disclosed to (his father) that this particular child has been repeatedly asking him to perform oral sex on him and when he refused, he was forcing him and then he was threatening him that he will bash him or beat him up if he tells anyone. And also, if he tells his parents, then he’s going to get a beating from his parents,” Amanda said.

Those disclosures, she said, had triggered significant distress in Henry. He had spent “hours” crying in his bedroom and on a bean bag when asked to speak about the incident, and had started sleeping in his mother’s room.

Amanda visited the daycare centre after her son detailed the allegations, accompanied by another parent. She said when she told the centre director what her son had told her, the director told her similar allegations had been made against the same boy more than a year earlier.

“She said there’s been other previous reports of the same sexual abuse by this child, but she didn’t know any details because it was handled by a previous centre drive director who had since left, and all she knows is that the child must be closely monitored,” Amanda said.

The Australian has also seen a written statement from the woman who accompanied Amanda to the centre that day, who said the centre director admitted there were previous reports on the same child for the same behaviour.

For Amanda, the idea not only that her child had allegedly been abused, but allegedly abused by a child who had had similar earlier allegations against them, made the situation even worse.

She has since received a copy of an email, shared with The Australian, sent to WA’s Education and Care Regulatory Unit by a former employee which made explicit references to multiple instances of child sexual abuse committed by a child at the centre. “There were repeated instances where inappropriate practices, and instances of abuse fostered against children, by another child (which) went un­addressed, raising serious concerns about the standard of care being provided,” it read.

“Moreover, full investigations and procedures were not put in place adequately, there was insufficient support offered for the families of the affected children or full disclosure to families of the extent of how many children were being sexually abused by another child in the centre.”

It is the belief that Michael had exhibited similar behaviours before that has most outraged Amanda. “If this was the first time it had happened, I would be able to shake hands and find a resolution to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said.

“But they knew ... I just cannot get over that.

“I think it’s incomprehensible.”

A subsequent meeting between Amanda, her former partner and head office of the daycare centre soon after to discuss the situation descended into acrimony. The meeting grew increasingly tense as Amanda and her former partner grew frustrated with what they saw was the day­care centre’s obfuscation. Privacy laws would have prevented the centre from providing any information about any earlier incident involving any other children.

“Yes, it was heated because they repeatedly denied, repeatedly refused to call the centre director, repeatedly didn’t say how they were going to solve (this). They were completely insen­sitive,” Amanda said.

She admits heated language was used by her and her former partner. Comments were made that gave at least some of those involved in the meeting concern for the safety of both Michael and the daycare centre’s staff.

An email sent to Amanda by the centre’s chief executive after the meeting informed her and her former partner that the police had been called and that both of them were barred from setting foot in any of their facilities.

Their children also had their enrolments in the daycare centre terminated, a particularly harsh blow to Amanda, who as a single mother with no other family was reliant on the service to be able to work.

VROs have also been taken out against Amanda by Michael’s foster family, and by the Department of Communities on Michael’s behalf. The orders accuse Amanda and her ex-partner of threatening to take matters into their own hands, something Amanda strenuously denies.

Rumours about the allegations have spread through the community, moving the CEO of the daycare centre to email parents with an update.

“Let me be clear that we have no active incident or investi­gation,” the email said. “In ­addition, we have not been contacted by any government agency or regulatory authority to initiate or respond to any external investigation relating to the safety of children in our care.

“If at any point an investigation were to be opened, the families of any children directly involved would be contacted immediately, either by us or by the appropriate agency. This is our standard process, and one we are committed to following transparently. I want to reassure you that our approach to child safety issues is one of care, compassion and above all, a focus on the dignity and safety of every child in our service.”

Amanda has reported the incident to both WA’s Department of Communities and WA police.

Police have already advised Amanda that the age of the ­alleged perpetrator limits their capacity to act. “Due to the children in this matter being under the age of criminal responsibility pursuant to section 29 of the Criminal Code, WA police will not conduct a further criminal investigation,” they told Amanda in an email.

 In response to questions from The Australian, a spokesman for the Department of Communities said keeping children safe and free from harm or hazard was ­always the department’s top ­priority.

“When serious incidents are identified, Communities investigates and takes appropriate action,” he said.

“In keeping with obligations under national law, Communities is unable to provide specific information on this matter.”

The daycare operator said the company had a long history of providing quality care to children, high standards of safeguarding and a safe environment for staff.

“As required by the law, and in accordance with our commitment to safeguarding, we will not make public comment on matters concerning any child who has been, or is, in our care. We appreciate that may leave organisations like ours open to unfounded, unproven or unreasonable criticism,” the operator said.

“If a complaint of any kind is made to the centre, it is immediately investigated, reported to the Education and Care Regulatory Unit as appropriate, and, if any action is required, it is taken as quickly as possible.”

The alleged incident has been complicated by the boy’s status as a child in state care.

To wind up in that position at such a young age points to him having endured significant trauma. Now the government department responsible for his care is also having to investigate the latest allegations.

Amanda said while she had some sympathy for her son’s alleged abuser, she wanted to see more effort put into helping her and her son. “I have absolutely no one, it’s just me and the kids,” she said through tears.

 “I just am determined to follow through and I’m not going let this go because this needs to be stopped. It’s too late for my children, but hopefully it’s not too late for other children.”