Commission of Inquiry hands final report to Governor after long inquiry into child abuse claims

The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings has come to an end – with the final report presented to the state’s Governor.

Commissioner Marcia Neave with Tasmanian Governor Barbara Baker. Commissioners the Honourable Marcia Neave AO, President and the Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC and Professor Leah Bromfield handing the report to the Governor Barbara Baker in relation to the Commission of Inquiry. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmania’s long-running Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings has come to an end.

Two years and nine months after the Commission was announced by then Premier Peter Gutwein, Commission President Marcia Neave handed the Commission’s final report to Tasmanian Governor Barbara Baker at Government House on Thursday afternoon.

It was Tasmania’s first Commission of Inquiry – the state’s equivalent of a Royal Commission – since 1999.

The eight volume report runs to more than 3,000 pages. It contains 75 findings and 191 recommendations.

The Commission referred more than 100 people to police and child protection agencies during its term.

Volumes of the report on display. Commissioners the Honourable Marcia Neave AO, President and the Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC and Professor Leah Bromfield handing the report to the Governor Barbara Baker in relation to the Commission of Inquiry. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Following the Commission’s final hearing on Wednesday Premier Jeremy Rockliff on said the full final report would be tabled in state parliament on September 26.

Labor leader Rebecca White said she wanted the government to use the next four weeks to work on an implementation plan with the backing of all members of parliament.

“We strongly support the work of the Commission of Inquiry, I think the entire parliament does and the government has our full support to implement those 191 recommendations,” she said.

“It has to be about how we protect children in Tasmania today and into the future and if there’s a mechanism that parliament can use to provide oversight for the implementation of those recommendations, that means that we are all accountable, we are all responsible, then I think the community would be better off.”

Federal member for Clark Andrew Wilkie said the state government must release the report to the public without redactions.

Commissioner Marcia Neave with Tasmanian Governor Barbara Baker. Commissioners the Honourable Marcia Neave AO, President and the Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC and Professor Leah Bromfield handing the report to the Governor Barbara Baker in relation to the Commission of Inquiry. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“They have ownership of this mess, no one else has ownership of this mess, the state government has ownership of this mess,” he said.

“It must not censor that report. There is no reason to censor the report, the Commission has already effectively redacted relevant parts – so what has been given to the government can be made public in full.”

Mr Wilkie said the Commission work amounted to “a damning report card on governance in this state”, particularly in relation to Ashley Youth Detention Centre whistleblower Alysha.

“It’s not like the institutional child sexual abuse was unknown. It’s not like they weren’t whistleblowers,” he said.

“And instead of the government, listening to those concerns, responding to them and keeping the children safe, they picked on the whistleblower, they did everything they could to break the whistleblower.

“What does that say about governance in this state?

“What does that say about the government, that they go after the whistleblower and they don’t worry about the children who have been harmed?”