A call to stand up in defence of children and young people: commission of inquiry hears two weeks of system’s ‘multiple failings

“What a wake-up call”: The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings has now concluded its second week of hearings

WHAT a wake-up call.

Child sexual abusers protected, moved between jobs or schools, employed for years, leaving trails of destruction in their wake.

Children not being believed, interrogated and retraumatised by investigators, treated as liars and left with the scars for life.

An unstructured mosaic of watchdog organisations and a poorly-functioning notification system that leaves children in dangerous situations.

A department with a “deeply disturbing” lack of proper record-keeping and a “woefully inadequate” approach to investigating claims and protecting children in its care.

A department with staff untrained in dealing with traumatised children, and a department that also misled the regulator about a child sexual abuser within its ranks.

A government with a “blunt and cruel” approach to dealing with survivors seeking compensation and an attitude of “general hostility” towards media covering child abuse.

A regulator that reinstated a child sexual abuser teacher – which it conceded was a “nasty black mark” against its name.

A system of failures

The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings has now concluded its second week of hearings.

So far, the evidence has painted a grim picture.

On Friday, while summing up the past week of public hearings, counsel assisting the commission, Elizabeth Bennett SC, told the commissioners about the education department’s “monstrous failings”.

She recounted the moving evidence given by survivor Sam Leishman, who was abused by New Town High School science teacher and serial paedophile Darrel George Harington in the 1970s.

“Mr Leishman described his experience of giving a victim impact statement in the Supreme Court. He said … it was a proud moment and he felt like the biggest person in the room. He felt that as an adult, he was able to stand in defence of his 12-year-old self,” she said.

“We hear his evidence, Commissioners, as a call to this commission and to the Department of Education to stand up in defence of young children and young people today.”

After grilling secretary Tim Bullard over three days, Ms Bennett applauded his acceptance of “multiple failures” by the department over time.

“It is difficult to imagine a matter of greater urgency or importance than that of making schools a safe place for all students,” she said.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings in Hobart. Commissioners Professor Leah Bromfield (left), the Honourable Marcia Neave AO (centre) and the Honourable Robert Benjamin AM (right) on the bench. Picture: Maren Preuss/ABC

What’s happened so far

Over the past two weeks, a series of disturbing allegations has been aired about the various ways child safety had been neglected under the state.

Horror stories were recounted by survivors and their families, such as the mother of a daughter with serious disabilities, whose concerns about Launceston General Hospital nurse James Geoffrey Griffin were simply “shrugged off”.

Griffin ended his life in 2019 after he was charged with a number of child sexual abuse offences.

Claims were aired that children were only removed from a parent by Tasmania’s Child Safety Service if they had been raped by that parent, while other concerns were raised around the state’s Advice and Referral Line, described as the first port of call in reporting child abuse or safety issues, which one person said simply “doesn’t work”.

Meanwhile, a trio of senior officials responsible for Tasmania’s various watchdog agencies revealed a confusing and complex system for reporting child abuse.

Journalists covering child sexual abuse in Tasmania revealed the roadblocks they have faced from a government culture of “general hostility”, with “crazy hurdles” placed before them.

One woman who was sexually abused by a state school teacher said she was “muzzled” about speaking about her experience, under threat she could be sued for defamation.

Tim Bullard secretary Department of Education Tasmania walking into give evidence at the commission of inquiry in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The department later misled the Teacher Registration Board by not providing it with full details of the allegations against the abusive teacher.

Another survivor explained how her school never believed her when she said her teacher abused her – and how she “felt beaten” that although she tried to use every avenue, could not stop her abuser from teaching.

A teacher revealed how a boy who sexually assaulted a female student in class was high-fived by his friends and faced no repercussions, with the victim given no support.

The horror stories seemed to demonstrate a system that time and again, proved to be “woefully inadequate” when it came to protecting children, or dealing with child sexual abuse claims.

Mr Bullard admitted the department still didn’t have any way of ensuring its external investigators were trauma-informed.

The public hearings will resume on June 14.

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