Child abuse is a serious crime, which has a devastating impact on children, family and communities.
The safety of children should not be politicised or used as a platform to advance a political position.
It is frustrating and disappointing to hear the Opposition Leader and Senator Price repeating the same claims and calls they made earlier this year, again with no evidence and no credible solutions.
If any politician, or anyone at all, has any evidence about the sexual abuse of children then they must report it to the authorities.
These calls for a Royal Commission into the sexual abuse of Aboriginal children have been made without one shred of real evidence being presented. They play into the basest negative perceptions of some people about Aboriginal people and communities.
In April this year, the Australian Child Maltreatment Study revealed the majority of Australians (62 per cent) have experienced at least one type of child abuse or neglect, with domestic violence, physical, emotional or sexual abuse the most common. Child abuse is far too prevalent in Australia full stop.
Singling out Aboriginal families and communities is harmful and puts ideology before evidence. Australian Institute for Health and Welfare data shows that, in 2021-22, substantiated child protection reports for Indigenous children were less likely to identify sexual abuse as the primary type of abuse (6.8% of substantiations) than they were for non-Indigenous children (9% of substantiations).
The evidence and the solutions are very clear. There have been more than 33 reports into child protection since the Bringing Them Home Report in 1997.
SNAICC produces an annual report, Family Matters, and has done for many years which details the evidence-based solutions that will enable our children to grow up safe, loved and protected.
These solutions have been developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations.
They prioritise Investment in effective, culturally safe supports for families and children before they reach crisis point, through Aboriginal community-controlled services.
The most effective and immediate action Government can take to make children safe and protect their human rights is to stand up a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner, with the legislated power to investigate and make recommendations on issues impacting our children.
This will be more effective and more powerful than any Royal Commission. We have been calling for a National Commissioner for many years. We now call for bipartisan support to make this happen.
Reference: AIHW 2023, Child Protection Australia 2021-22, Data Table S3.10
Endorsed by:
Organisations:
- SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
- 54 Reasons/Save the Children
- AbSec
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body
- Act for Kids
- Allambi Care
- ANTaR
- Anti-Poverty Week
- APONT – Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT
- Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA)
- Australian Child Rights Taskforce (UNICEF)
- Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
- Australian Education Union
- Australian Indigenous Doctors Association
- Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)
- Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)
- Barnados
- Benevolent Society
- CASPA
- Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (CFECFW)
- Child and Family Focus South Australia (CAFFSA)
- Coalition of Peaks on Closing the Gap
- DJIRRA
- Early Childhood Australia
- Families Australia
- Family and Relationship Services Australia (FRSA)
- Full Stop Australia
- Gayaa Dhuwi
- Goodstart
- Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future
- Indigenous Allied Health Australia
- KWY Aboriginal Corporation
- Life Without Barriers
- Lowitja Institute
- MacKillop Family Services
- NAATSIHWP
- NAPCAN
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS)
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
- National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence
- National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research
- National Coalition for Child Safety and Wellbeing
- National Health Leadership Forum
- Ngaweeyan Maar-oo
- Noongar Family Safety and Wellbeing Council
- Onemda Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing
- OzChild
- Parkville Institute
- Partnership for Justice in Health
- PeakCare Qld
- Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP)
- Reconciliation Australia
- Replanting the Birthing Trees
- SAFeST Start Coalition
- South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON)
- SSI
- Strive
- The Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM)
- The Healing Foundation
- The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre)
- United
- Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
- Yamurrah Collective
Individuals
- Adele Moon
- Aleshanee Kelso
- Alexandra Whyte, Good Shepherd
- Alira Tufui
- Andrea Ashley-Brown
- Anna Gibson, VACCA
- April Lawrie, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People
- Audrey Walker
- Babette Casey
- Barbara Causon, ACT Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People
- Bec Turner, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of SA Inc.
- Benjamin French, SNAICC
- Bernice Hookey, MZB Empowerment
- BJ Newton
- Brad Webb
- Breony Carbines
- Professor Catherine Chamberlain
- Cameron Lum, ACOSS
- Cameron McEvoy
- Carla Ware
- Colleen Pearson
- Constantina Burr
- Courtney Theseira
- Dale Agius, Commissioner for First Nations Voice, South Australia
- Dawyte Hart-O’Neill
- Declan Hofbauer
- Denise Roscow
- Diane Reeved
- Dimity Evans
- Eliza Fanderlinden
- Felix Pringle
- Fiona Stanley, Telethon Kids
- Gillian Brannigan, AbSec
- Grace Vining
- Dr Graham Gee
- Hayley Purbrick
- Isobel Ziatas
- Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, WA Commissioner for Children and Young People
- Jacqueline Wilks
- Jacqui Schoeffel-Weber
- James Pedrocchi
- Jane Simpson, Queensland Youth Justice
- Jess McCarty
- Jordan Gibbs, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Jodie Griffiths-Cook, ACT Children and Young People’s Commissioner
- Jodie Lucarini
- Judith McKay-Tempest
- Karla Dunbar
- Kate Larsen
- Kate Rendell
- Katherine Heath
- Kathryn Gibson
- Katrina Fanning, Coolamon Advisors
- Kylie Colemane, Your Green Prescription
- Leanne Dunphy
- Dr Lilly Brown
- Leanne Coombe, Public Health Association of Australia
- Lindy Annakin, Children in Care Collective
- Lisa Jovaisa
- Loretta Bellato
- Lou Pollard
- Lyn Morgain, Oxfam
- Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton
- Marilyn Morgan, NAATSIP
- Mark Sketcher
- Megan Cameron-Brown
- Melissa Wicks
- Michelle Rogers, ACHIA NSW
- Millie Constable, ID. Know Yourself
- Millie Olcay
- Nadia Roelofs
- Nahualli Portillo-Baskett
- Nasha Liew
- Natalie Hunter, NAAJA
- Natalie Williamson
- Nicole Evans
- Nicole Hucks, Acting Children’s Commissioner Northern Territory
- Norrie Stevens
- Rachel Gunston
- Rebecca Shiels-Earl
- Renae Isaacs-Guthridge
- Sarah Boasman
- Shaylem Wilson
- Shelley Laycock, Abbotsleigh Early Learning Centre
- Shilpa Rajkumar
- Shirleen Campbell
- Stacey Hogan
- Terri Stuart
- Tina McPhee
- Tony McAvoy SC
- Victoria Parker
- Victoria Paterson, SHINE SA
- Zoe Robinson, Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People
***END***
For all media queries, please contact Mandy Taylor on 0414634159 or media@snaicc.org.au.
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