Paul Anastassiou KC begins Qld child safety system investigation in Townsville

‘Critical’ and ‘systemic’ failures in child safety have been put in the spotlight as the commissioner reveals why this regional QLD town was his first stop.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System will be led by Paul Anastassiou KC.

The new commissioner behind a probe into the “critical failures” of the Queensland child safety system has made Townsville his first stop ahead of public hearings due to the significant demand in the city.

The independent Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System, which started on July 1 and will run for the next 17 months, was established after the uncovering of what the government described as “long-term systemic failures” that has caused “damage” to “vulnerable” Queensland children.

The department has come under fire in North Queensland regularly as the region grapples with a youth crime epidemic, with many locals concerned about residential care and a lacking child safety system fuelling the issue.

However, leaders in the industry say that children on the streets at night are not there by choice, but because it is safer than being at home.

In January, Thai-li Ned was allegedly killed while in the care of Schynada Karkadoo where he had been placed while his mother was on remand.

She has been charged with manslaughter over his death. No pleas have been entered.

Commissioner Paul Anastassiou KC started engagement with stakeholders in Townsville earlier this week, with the city the first stop a reflection of the high demand for child protection services in the area.

The inquiry will focus on several key areas including reforming the residential care system, repairing a broken system, ensuring safer children, safer communities, delivery failures, and legislative reform.

Part of the legislative reform would include reviewing the Child Protection Act 1999 and Adoption Act 2009.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System will be led by Paul Anastassiou KC.

Mr Anastassiou said Townsville was chosen as the starting point for public engagement due to its status as a major regional centre, the significant demand for child protection services in the area, and the considerable impact on First Nations communities.

“I wanted to commence the inquiry and the public engagement in North Queensland because I wanted to send the message that this is a whole Queensland inquiry,” Commissioner Anastassiou said.

“This is not focused on the south east or Brisbane.”

“The government has initiated this inquiry because of its concerns that there’s an increasing number of young people entering the child protection system and the increase has been quite significant in recent years.”

During the recent visit, described as a “scoping visit”, the Commissioner and his team met with various levels of service providers, including representatives from the Department of Child Safety, staff from residential care organisations and workers at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Discussions were had with staff regarding triaging calls, conducting assessments in remote areas such as Mount Isa and the Burdekin, and managing court applications for child protection orders.

The inquiry will also examine the challenges faced in providing care, including the decreasing number of foster carers.

After media investigations into complaints about the system and residential careworkers and whether they feel supported to make complaints without feeling of retribution, Mr Anastassiou said he had only been to two residential houses so far, but said there was “no concerns expressed”.

“It’s not a great sample, but in both cases there was no concern and I asked specifically about that. Indeed quite the opposite, the staff of those two houses who are there day to day said they felt very supported in terms of being able to make a complaint if there was need to,” he said.

“That’s not to say there isn’t an issue. We have called for submissions on that very topic.”

Mr Anastassiou plans to return to Townsville within months to hold a public hearing, with others scheduled for Cairns and other regional areas.

“It’s important that this inquiry hears evidence in a public way for a number of reasons, so that the public can be informed about the issue, but also to encourage anybody to voice their concerns or criticisms,” he said.

“I am absolutely interested in hearing from the people on the ground and the reason it’s important is that those people have the day-to-day experience of what it’s like to provide those services.”

The Cleveland Bay Youth Detention Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

The Commissioner said the ultimate goal of the inquiry was to develop practical recommendations for improving child protection services across Queensland.

“Hopefully as a result of that we will distil some useful and practical recommendations about how things might be improved,” Commissioner Anastassiou concluded.

In regards to any connection between children being in the system and then going on to be involved in youth crime, Mr Anastassiou said it remained an “open question.”

“Whether there is a causative connection between the experience of a service provided to young people in child protection and the likelihood of ending up in the youth justice system,” he said.

“We have to pay close attention to the differences that plainly exist between the experience of young people in a remote or regional community and younger people in larger cities, like Brisbane for example.”

“The challengers of remoteness and delivery of services to remote areas cannot be underestimated.”

A 2024 census of more than 3000 children in care found 11 per cent had been sexually abused, 46 per cent had been physically abused, 83 per cent had suffered emotional abuse and 68 had been exposed to domestic violence.

A sobering statistic was that 69 per cent had experienced three or more abuse types.

Premier David Crisafulli has called the Commission of Inquiry “historic” and said forming it was “critical”.

“This is the Commission of Inquiry the State must have if we are serious about the safety of Queensland children and our communities,” he said.

The Commissioner announced on Wednesday that hearings would commence on July 23 at the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

For more information or to make a submission visit www.childsafetyinquiry.qld.gov.au

Originally published as Paul Anastassiou KC begins Qld child safety system investigation in Townsville