Calls for Queensland government to make report into child deaths available
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- Category: Child abuse industry deaths in Queensland
- Created: Friday, 28 January 2022 20:30
- Written by Duncan Murray - News.com.au
The Queensland government is facing calls to release a report into the deaths of 55 children, with one MP slamming the lack of transparency.
Opposition child protection spokeswoman Amanda Camm has demanded that the Queensland Government makes report into child deaths available.
The Queensland government is facing calls to release a report into the deaths of 55 children in order to help reform child protection.
Of the deaths, which occurred last financial year, 10 were due to assault or neglect, six were by suicide and two drowned.
A further seven died by “unknown” causes and nine had “sudden unexplained deaths”.
The report by the Child Death Review Board was finalised in October last year but is yet to be made available in parliament, according to opposition child protection spokeswoman Amanda Camm.
Amanda Camm said it was ‘appalling’ the government had not released the findings. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
“We had three parliamentary sitting weeks where the minister could have tabled that report,” Ms Camm told 4BC.
“The only way we can protect children is if the government is transparent about what the failures are.”
According to Ms Camm, all of the 55 children who died were either known to child protection or in the care of child protection, putting them “under the government’s watch”.
She said systemic failings needed to be scrutinised and fixed, particularly in the case of suicides by young people in government care.
“When we see a figure like 55, what that tells me is that there is still a lot of work to do,” Ms Camm said.
The high-profile case of Queensland toddler Mason Jet Lee, who died in 2016 after being punched in the stomach by his stepfather, brought the failings of the state to protect children to light.
The case of Queensland toddler Mason Jet Lee highlighted issues with the child protection system that failed to prevent his death.
A report into his death, which remained confidential until after the court case had ended, found that there were “many child protection concerns” and areas for improving how the system functioned.
Ms Camm said the latest report couldn’t wait and should be released immediately in order to deal with the issue.
“We want to see the report and we want to understand what has happened to each and every one of these children to ensure that we can prevent future deaths,” she said.
Source : https://www.news.com.au/uncategorized/push-for-answers-over-55-child-deaths/news-story/b7e3869429da27296da0366a18dc1a61?amp=
- Type of Abuse:: Death
