CHILDREN IN STATE CARE 'HANDED TO PREDATORS': DHS WHISTLEBLOWER

By Joseph Dunstan 5 December, 2013

 

A former child protection worker in Victoria told ABC Radio Statewide Drive Victoria juvenile offenders convicted of violent sexual assaults have been housed in the same accommodation as children with severe intellectual disabilities.

The whistleblower, known as 'Steve', said he witnessed assaults and rapes against children with disabilities in Victorian State Government residential care facilities.

'An eight-year-old male with autism and Down syndrome placed into a government facility was then sexually assaulted, raped by another male, who had a history of sexual assault, a known history, who was then placed into this accommodation with this young vulnerable child.'

'The sexual offender was then moved to a private facility, another house run by a private agency, funded by the government, and then within two weeks the child who was sexually assaulted was then moved to the same house, and this young child was then raped, sodomised, again for a second time.'

'A common analogy I like to make is that if you're a shepherd and you look after sheep and then all of a sudden your boss comes along and says we want to throw some wolves in there and you've got to treat them equally and look after them the same way and make sure you care for them.'

'I call it almost premeditated domestic abuse, because these people are placed into a domestic situation where they are handed victims on a platter, and they can basically re-offend, re-offend, re-offend,' Steve said. 

Steve said he reported the assaults to senior managers but received little response, and staff that raised concerns were moved on.

'Often re-direction for the staff to other facilities, maybe as a staff person you've seen too much and you're highlighting too much....that often happens.'

In a statement the Department of Human Services said the department's policy does not permit placing violent juvenile sexual offenders in shared accommodation with children with intellectual disabilities.

'Placement matches are carefully considered and the best interests of the child are paramount,' a spokesperson said.

'Any allegations of abuse must be reported to DHS and police within 24 hours and are treated with the utmost urgency.'

But families of children with disabilities do not have confidence in the current system, Steve said.

'It's made me very cynical, and it's made me quite angry, because I came into this field originally because I had family members with disabilities, and have been working in the field for 20 years, and have witnessed a lot of things that families would be absolutely appalled by.'

Victorian Commissioner for Children and Young People Bernie Geary said the residential care system is under-resourced.

'It's a poorly resourced system and the young people who come to it are very often traumatised themselves and it's very often a situation where the more vulnerable kids there are being treated badly.'

Opposition spokesperson for child safety Danielle Green said the disturbing revelations showed the child protection system in Victoria does not have enough resources.

'The system clearly needs more support, but from the Napthine government it's getting much less."

The ABC requested a response from the Minister for Community and Disability Services Mary Wooldridge but was declined.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/12/05/3905672.htm?site=ballarat