CHILD ABUSE: OFFICIAL APOLOGY BUT NO ACTION!

In Queensland, Australia

The Child Safety Department has apologised to a man for ignoring claims his children were being sexually abused by their mother. Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said yesterday an independent review of the case had found some evidence of poor practice and gender bias by some child safety officers employed by the former Families Department. The review was ordered in February by former minister Mike Reynolds after concerns about the case were raised by The Courier-Mail.

"This was an extremely complex case, but the review found that one factor was that an officer, through conflicting information, demonstrated bias and that bias then influenced management of the case," Ms Boyle said. "The Child Safety Department director-general, Robin Sullivan, has written to the parent concerned to apologise and I fully support the move. "Since the review the department has taken steps to address the findings and recommendations of the report. "The department is taking all actions available to protect these children and ensure their ongoing safety and wellbeing."

Ms Boyle, who said the workers involved were not employed by the new department, said she could not reveal the full details of the case, to protect the identity of the children, and because the Family Court was also involved. However, the father said three of the children were still with the woman despite the department determining they were at risk of sexual abuse. "I haven't seen them since 2001," he said. "I don't know where they are."

He said two child safety officers had been involved. Departmental documents obtained by The Courier-Mail showed one of the agency's offices recorded it had "concerns pertaining to the future risk of sexual harm of the children" as early as August 2004. But instead of removing the children, that office decided to "attempt to manage the risk". Six months later, child safety officers at another office determined at least one of the children had been sexually abused by their mother.

According to the father, that child now resided with him, but only because the child had refused to return to the mother after a contact visit. Ms Boyle said while the review had criticised the department's performance in the case, child safety officers, who had to make many extremely difficult decisions, generally did a great job. [It sure does not sound like it!]

Report here



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