A new report from the Commission for Children and Young People has revealed shocking findings of our must vulnerable in the state’s care being sexually, criminally and financially exploited, raped, assaulted, sustaining physical injuries, engaging in self-harm and extensive and damaging use of substances and alcohol.
The Commission’s inquiry heard children and young people in residential care – our most vulnerable children – are being targeted by organised paedophile rings. Children are often missing from care and suffer appalling harm, including neglect of basic needs of food, water and shelter, injuries from car and train accidents, contracting sexually transmitted illnesses and unwanted pregnancies.
The situation is so dire, the Commission has called for a systemic overhaul, to create a new model of residential care.
The inquiry was initiated due to continuing reports of children as young as 10 going missing for days, weeks or months at a time. These children are under the care of the Andrews Labor Government and the Minister for Child Protection.
The child protection system is in crisis. If the deaths of a record 65 children known to the authorities last year, government data breaches leading to grooming by rapists, and huge increases in the rate of child sexual abuse were not evidence enough, this report confirms it.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Child Protection, Matt Bach:
“Victoria is currently in the grip of a child protection crisis, with no plan from the Andrews Labor Government to help our most vulnerable.
“We already knew a record 65 children known to child protection died last year. Through this new report we’ve learnt more about the shameful failures of the Andrews Labor Government, with vulnerable children being successfully targeted by organised paedophile rings, and raped.
“The Andrews Labor Government must change its crisis-driven approach into supporting our children and young people to prevention and early intervention.”
