One of the more shocking things about recent exposés of prolific paedophiles lurking in childcare centres is that they managed to get away with it for so long. Ashley Griffith committed hundreds of offences over decades. Joshua Brown was sacked from one childcare centre after another, but simply moved on – keeping his Working With Children Check the whole time.
Twelve-year-old Tiahleigh Palmer was murdered by her foster carers, who likewise flew under the bureaucratic radar for years. Hers was just one case of too many. These are only the tip of the iceberg of a clearly failing system.
Even convicted child murderers are being officially cleared to work with children.
Tina Terlato pleaded guilty to infanticide after her baby Amanda died with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain in April 2012 and her twin sister Alicia suffered terrible trauma leaving her with a lifelong brain injury.
Despite this, the Victorian woman received her Working with Children Check (WWCC) in 2021, and was able to volunteer with Essendon Football Club’s cheer squad making banners with children.
At least keep her away from any sharp implements.
In most states, including Victoria, even those guilty of the most serious crimes – including rape, murder and sexual offences – can be granted Working with Children Checks if they undergo risk assessments and are deemed to no longer pose a threat.
Well, there’s an easy fix for that:
Any bureaucrat who rubber stamps a murderer or rapist to work with children should be made to share a sentence and a cell with them when they offend again.
Because far too many of them will offend again.
Former youth worker Alex Jones was able to obtain a WWCC in Victoria despite being investigated for an alleged rape in NSW.
Because he was never charged in NSW, Victorian authorities were not told of the allegation.
In 2021, he was jailed for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy […]
Child-safety experts are joining the call for urgent reforms including strengthened auditing systems in order to stop suspected offenders – including those facing serious allegations – from holding on to their clearances.
This investigation has revealed the lengths convicted sex offenders and those accused of sickening crimes are going to in order to gain access to children.
Not that far, given the apparent lack of care from bureaucrats.
Last week, a convicted sex offender, who was refused a WWCC from both the NSW Office of Children’s Guardian and NSW Administrative Tribunal, was told that he could make “another application” in the future to obtain a clearance.
Even without a WWCC, or ‘Blue Card’ as they’re called in Queensland, unscrupulous employers will simply turn a willful blind eye.
A childcare centre director who employed her convicted child sex offender husband to do maintenance and gardening has been sacked […]
New South Wales court records show [Andrew William Vassel] faced trial in 2007 and was convicted on two child sex abuse offences. He spent eight months in prison.
The court heard he had been a reportable offender for a 15-year period from 2008.
Police in June had received a tip-off that Vassel, who the court heard was also a landscaper for Brisbane City Council, was working at the centre.
The court heard he had told police he did not think he needed a Blue Card because he was only working outside of centre opening hours.
However, the court heard witnesses told police they recalled Vassel dressing as Santa at a Christmas party.
It’s long past time to drop the ‘care’ from childcare, because they clearly don’t.
And it’s long, long, past time to hold bureaucrats accountable for their grossly negligent acts.
