‘What exactly they've seen, we don't know': Woman found dead in Cobram home with two young kids inside
Police were called to a home on Christie Avenue in the Victorian border town of Cobram at about 5am on Tuesday, where they found the body of a 32-year-old woman.
The two young children found inside the address were not physically injured, and Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said police were yet to speak to them about what had occurred.
"What exactly they've seen we don't know, but obviously we will do our best to speak to those children," he said.
"Their wellbeing is number one and making sure they're okay and being looked after and provided support that they need.
"But obviously we will endeavour to speak to them to see what they can say to us to see if they can assist."
A 45-year-old man, who was known to the woman, has been arrested and will be interviewed by police.
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the man was known to police, but they were still trying to piece together what had occurred.
"We are doing the very best we can to understand what's occurred today and a crime like this, we will work extremely hard to hold those responsible to account,' he said.
"One woman killed in circumstances like this is too many and it shouldn't happen.
'People should be safe in their homes. People should be safe in their relationships.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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The Advertiser
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Ms Allan deflected responsibility over the state government's failure to act on that report, pointing out she wasn't premier at the time. "I wasn't involved in those previous decisions," she said. Victoria's working with children check regime, along with the reportable conduct scheme, will be brought together under the same roof of the social services regulator. The shift will be accompanied by a doubling of unannounced compliance visits under a standalone childcare sector regulator and harsher penalties for breaches. "No matter how hard we try to keep predators out, some will get through," said the review, led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and veteran public servant Pamela White. The review, however, stopped short of calling for mandatory CCTV in all childcare state facilities, suggesting a national trial instead. 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People under investigation for serious offences can still hold a permit to work with children in Victoria. The rapid review suggested checks be suspended or refused when there are "credible allegations or patterns of behaviour" with children. The trail of information that can identify a predator's behaviour sits in too many places, with "breadcrumbs" and "red flags" missed. A 2022 Victorian ombudsman report exposed serious flaws in the scheme after former Melbourne City Mission worker Alexander Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2018. Ms Allan deflected responsibility over the state government's failure to act on that report, pointing out she wasn't premier at the time. "I wasn't involved in those previous decisions," she said. Victoria's working with children check regime, along with the reportable conduct scheme, will be brought together under the same roof of the social services regulator. 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The sector has undergone rapid growth over the past decade without a "coherent plan" and removing "bad actors" cannot wait for longer-term work, the review said. Victoria was urged to share the review with the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions ahead of education ministers meeting on Friday. Attorneys-general have already agreed people banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction will be banned in all under reforms to be in place by the end of 2025. OTHER KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RAPID REVIEW: * Create a national early childhood reform commission * Accelerate a national early childhood worker register * Establish a process for high-quality providers to take over a cancelled service * Trial CCTV in early childhood education and care settings across the nation * Improve lines of sight in centres through a federally funded program 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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Those who profit from childcare must put safety first, or get out of the industry
The most serious and urgent problem confronting childcare in Australia – protecting young children from sexual predators – can be fixed. This is the best news from the child safety review commissioned by the Victorian government in response to allegations of abuse by a childcare worker in 24 centres across Melbourne's west. To get there, however, requires a rebalancing of questions of personal privacy and presumptions of innocence with the need to make sure the wrong people are not caring for our children. It will rely on the state and federal governments implementing, with urgency, reforms that have been on the table for years, others newly proposed and the removal of bureaucratic barriers that keep concerns about childcare workers hidden from their employers and parents. As Alison Geale, the chief executive of child protection advocates Bravehearts, puts it, 'for too long warning signs have been ignored, systems have failed to communicate and predators have slipped through the cracks'. Loading The familiarity of some of the review's findings also raises a question that should be tearing at the conscience of Victorian ministers who ignored former ombudsman Deborah Glass's 2022 report exposing serious flaws in the state's working with children check system. Premier Jacinta Allan, in vowing to implement all recommendations from this review within the next 12 months, said her government had acted with urgency from the moment Victoria Police made public allegations of child sex abuse in daycare. But why does it take such allegations – allegations Allan said sickened her as a premier and a mother – to convince her government to repair what she now describes as a horribly broken system? 'I'm taking action today,' was her response.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Those who profit from childcare must put safety first, or get out of the industry
The most serious and urgent problem confronting childcare in Australia – protecting young children from sexual predators – can be fixed. This is the best news from the child safety review commissioned by the Victorian government in response to allegations of abuse by a childcare worker in 24 centres across Melbourne's west. To get there, however, requires a rebalancing of questions of personal privacy and presumptions of innocence with the need to make sure the wrong people are not caring for our children. It will rely on the state and federal governments implementing, with urgency, reforms that have been on the table for years, others newly proposed and the removal of bureaucratic barriers that keep concerns about childcare workers hidden from their employers and parents. As Alison Geale, the chief executive of child protection advocates Bravehearts, puts it, 'for too long warning signs have been ignored, systems have failed to communicate and predators have slipped through the cracks'. Loading The familiarity of some of the review's findings also raises a question that should be tearing at the conscience of Victorian ministers who ignored former ombudsman Deborah Glass's 2022 report exposing serious flaws in the state's working with children check system. Premier Jacinta Allan, in vowing to implement all recommendations from this review within the next 12 months, said her government had acted with urgency from the moment Victoria Police made public allegations of child sex abuse in daycare. But why does it take such allegations – allegations Allan said sickened her as a premier and a mother – to convince her government to repair what she now describes as a horribly broken system? 'I'm taking action today,' was her response.
