Parents in dark over sex attack

THE Education Department has told a council parents have no right to know if their children have been in the care of a pedophile.

THE Education Department has warned a school council in South Australia that parents have no legal or ethical right to know if their children have been in the care of a convicted pedophile.

The revelation is the latest twist in a storm engulfing the state Labor government, which faces renewed scrutiny today in parliament of its handling of the rape of an eight-year-old girl in a government school in 2010, when Premier Jay Weatherill was education minister.

The case was kept from parents for two years.

The Premier and his Education Minister Grace Portolesi are refusing to answer any questions about the case because they have since commissioned former Supreme Court judge Bruce Debelle to undertake an inquiry.

A June memo from the Education Department's legal services manager Don Mackie to the chair of the school's governing council, obtained by The Australian yesterday, said the council had "no role to play" in determining whether parents should be told their children had been in the care of Mark Christopher Harvey.

Harvey was convicted in February for the rape at an out-of-school-hours care program he ran at the school.

Mr Mackie said: "There were no grounds I could see that would make it necessary to take such action to . . . ensure the safety of those who have used the service."

The memo said it was not the view of the government that "the community have a 'legal and ethical right to this information' ".

"In my experience the 'unrestricted and broadcasting' of such information is counter-productive to the safety of the community.

"The council has no role in informing the community of the conviction of Mr Harvey."

The memo also warned the council the minister would be told if any steps were taken to inform parents.

"As such it will be necessary for the council to advise this office of any decision to further inform parents of children who were in attendance during the time Mr Harvey was employed," the memo said.

Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni accused the government of "intimidating the governing council into silence".