Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data reveals horror child abuse rates in Territory

Indigenous leader slams ‘silence’ on child abuse in the Northern Territory as statistics reveal how rampant the crime is across the Top End.

Child abuse and neglect is being reported to authorities in the Northern Territory at almost five times the rate of any other Australian jurisdiction.

The latest available data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows 95.5 children per 1000 in the NT were the subject of an investigation or notification to child protection services in 2020/2021.

The state with the next highest rate was New South Wales where there were 23.5 investigations or notifications per 1000 children.

In Tasmania there were just 6.7 notifications or investigations per 1000 children.

The data also showed the Northern Territory had the second lowest substantiation rate when abuse and neglect was reported to authorities.

Just 31.9 per cent of cases in the NT were substantiated. In Tasmania the substantiation rate was 76.5 per cent.

But substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect are still far higher in the Northern Territory than in any other state or territory.

For children aged under one, there were 63.8 NT children per 1000 who were the subject of a substantiated notification. The national average was 16.6.

For all children aged 0-17 the rate of substantiated abuse and neglect per 1000 children in the NT was 26. The national average was 8.8.

Sky News obtained the data after a political slanging match erupted during Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s visit this week to Alice Springs.

Mr Dutton raised the issue of the sexual abuse of Indigenous children, but was questioned about whether he had data to support his claims.

The Opposition Leader said he had spoken to police and social workers, some of whom were on stress leave because of the scenes they had endured.

“They have kids taking them back into homes where they have been sexually assaulted and six-year-olds grabbing their legs, screaming not to be left there,” he said.

He was criticised by senior Labor politicians including Northern Territory Police and Territory Families Minister Kate Worden who accused him of using the issue as a political football.

“It’s a complete dog act to use the most vulnerable people for a political agenda which we know and we can call out as the start of the No campaign for the Voice,” she said.

Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Price told Sky News there were concerted efforts by Northern Territory authorities to cover up the issue of child abuse.

“Imagine if this was done to victims of the Catholic church, imagine that,” she told Sky News host Paul Murray.

“What, is it OK for Aboriginal children to suffer in silence and to all be part of this cover up and to suggest that their lives aren’t as important as a sexual abuse victim of the Catholic Church.

“It’s unfathomable. That to me is what the real racism is.”

In a statement issued on Friday, however, non-government organisation SNAICC said Mr Dutton’s claims of “rampant” abuse were not supported by evidence.

“If Mr Dutton, any politician or any community member has evidence about sexual abuse of children then the mandatory process is to make a report to the authorities,” SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said.

“The claims of ‘rampant’ abuse fly in the face of evidence. Data from Territory Families show there has been no escalation in investigations or sexual abuse or exploitation.

“SNAICC invites Mr Dutton and Senator Price to meet with SNAICC and community members of a considered, evidence-based discussion of the issue of child sexual abuse and the over representation of Aboriginal children in the child protection system.”

Originally published as Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data reveals horror child abuse rates in Territory