‘Critical' children's commissioner role must be filled urgently
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll confirmed on Thursday that the 'rapid review' underway into the childcare sector in the state would look into the government's failure to heed the warnings on child sexual abuse sounded by former Commissioner Liana Buchanan over several years.
This masthead revealed on Wednesday that former children's commissioner Liana Buchanan had long predicted in her warnings to government that the continued underfunding of a vital oversight scheme administered by the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) would result in the abuse of children.
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Red flags over the man at the centre of the scandal, Joshua Dale Brown, of substantiated allegations that he acted violently toward children in his care, were reported to the Reportable Conduct Scheme for review but were not escalated to a suspension of his working with children check.
Brown now stands accused of abusing eight preschoolers at a Point Cook childcare centre in 2022 and 2023, with more allegations being investigated in a case that has prompted authorities to call for more than 2000 children to be tested for sexually transmitted infections.
Responding on Wednesday morning to the fresh revelations, Carroll, who is also minister for education, said the 'rapid review' led by former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, will 'look at everything'.
'My understanding is that they will look at everything,' Carroll said.
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'Lizzie Blandthorn, the Minister for children, the Premier, have all said we're going to implement all the recommendations, and if it does include changes to the system around families, children, the reportable conduct scheme, for example, yes, certainly we'll accept those recommendations and make those changes.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How The Age covered the biggest stories of the month
To say Victoria has been in the eye of a news cyclone over the past month would imply there was at least a moment of serenity. It began as many families were winding down for school holidays in early July with one of the most confronting stories in recent memory: allegations that childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was to be charged with sexually abusing babies and toddlers at a centre where he worked. Brown is facing 73 charges, including rape. He faced court this week and the investigation is ongoing. These allegations not only horrified the nation, but triggered serious questions about the nation's child protection systems and what can only be described as the reckless indifference of governments in that space. Noel Towell reported this week on the former commissioner for children and young people's warning three years ago that 'children would be abused' if the Victorian government did not properly fund the Reportable Conduct Scheme that failed to act on red flags raised about the accused paedophile. Our journalists have also looked closely at the investigations into Brown and the conduct of the companies that employed him to work at many facilities around Melbourne. Sherryn Groch, Caroline Schelle and Carla Jaeger – who have covered this saga with sensitivity, clarity and determination – last week revealed that Brown had been fired from at least three childcare centres before he was arrested, and brought to light crucial details of his past that were missed by regulators and childcare providers. Yesterday, Nicole Precel reported that male childcare workers were being turned away from centres in the aftermath of the Brown allegations. Today, Colin Kruger and Elias Visontay examine the corporate history of Affinity, one of the for-profit childcare providers that employed Brown. On July 7, the attention of our subscribers was firmly fixed on a court in Morwell, where Erin Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, after poisoning her in-laws, the local pastor and his wife with death cap mushrooms hidden in a beef Wellington. Erin Pearson, who tirelessly and meticulously covered the marathon trial for The Age, described an unflinching Patterson as the four guilty verdicts were read out by the jury foreperson. Crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola was also stationed at Morwell for the trial. Her interview with Dr Chris Webster, who treated the victims after the poisoning, was one of the most compelling pieces published in the aftermath of the verdicts. Photographer Jason South was also there to capture every moment. This story contains a gallery of some of his best work throughout the trial, plus South's telling of how an AFP photographer captured the famous images of Patterson being driven away from the courtroom. Below is one of my favourite pictures from the trial, showing prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers in this eerie scene. John Silvester was at his analytical best with this piece on how Patterson needed to jump 10 hurdles with her defence and stumbled at every one. And only this morning, Chris Vedelago broke the news of an investigation by the state's Juries Commissioner into the way the jury in the so-called mushroom case was protected from outside influence during its deliberations. Then there were the chaotic and disturbing events of July 4, when police allege 34-year-old Angelo Loras tried to torch an East Melbourne synagogue. On the same night, though there is no suggestion the events are connected, a group of about 20 people stormed into an Israeli restaurant in Hardware Lane, trashing the place and chanting at diners. Groch and Vedelago's look at the group behind it is illuminating. Meanwhile in Greensborough on the same night, a company that manufactures parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter used by Israel, as Jaeger reported, was vandalised and cars outside were set alight.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
How The Age covered the biggest stories of the month
To say Victoria has been in the eye of a news cyclone over the past month would imply there was at least a moment of serenity. It began as many families were winding down for school holidays in early July with one of the most confronting stories in recent memory: allegations that childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was to be charged with sexually abusing babies and toddlers at a centre where he worked. Brown is facing 73 charges, including rape. He faced court this week and the investigation is ongoing. These allegations not only horrified the nation, but triggered serious questions about the nation's child protection systems and what can only be described as the reckless indifference of governments in that space. Noel Towell reported this week on the former commissioner for children and young people's warning three years ago that 'children would be abused' if the Victorian government did not properly fund the Reportable Conduct Scheme that failed to act on red flags raised about the accused paedophile. Our journalists have also looked closely at the investigations into Brown and the conduct of the companies that employed him to work at many facilities around Melbourne. Sherryn Groch, Caroline Schelle and Carla Jaeger – who have covered this saga with sensitivity, clarity and determination – last week revealed that Brown had been fired from at least three childcare centres before he was arrested, and brought to light crucial details of his past that were missed by regulators and childcare providers. Yesterday, Nicole Precel reported that male childcare workers were being turned away from centres in the aftermath of the Brown allegations. Today, Colin Kruger and Elias Visontay examine the corporate history of Affinity, one of the for-profit childcare providers that employed Brown. On July 7, the attention of our subscribers was firmly fixed on a court in Morwell, where Erin Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, after poisoning her in-laws, the local pastor and his wife with death cap mushrooms hidden in a beef Wellington. Erin Pearson, who tirelessly and meticulously covered the marathon trial for The Age, described an unflinching Patterson as the four guilty verdicts were read out by the jury foreperson. Crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola was also stationed at Morwell for the trial. Her interview with Dr Chris Webster, who treated the victims after the poisoning, was one of the most compelling pieces published in the aftermath of the verdicts. Photographer Jason South was also there to capture every moment. This story contains a gallery of some of his best work throughout the trial, plus South's telling of how an AFP photographer captured the famous images of Patterson being driven away from the courtroom. Below is one of my favourite pictures from the trial, showing prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers in this eerie scene. John Silvester was at his analytical best with this piece on how Patterson needed to jump 10 hurdles with her defence and stumbled at every one. And only this morning, Chris Vedelago broke the news of an investigation by the state's Juries Commissioner into the way the jury in the so-called mushroom case was protected from outside influence during its deliberations. Then there were the chaotic and disturbing events of July 4, when police allege 34-year-old Angelo Loras tried to torch an East Melbourne synagogue. On the same night, though there is no suggestion the events are connected, a group of about 20 people stormed into an Israeli restaurant in Hardware Lane, trashing the place and chanting at diners. Groch and Vedelago's look at the group behind it is illuminating. Meanwhile in Greensborough on the same night, a company that manufactures parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter used by Israel, as Jaeger reported, was vandalised and cars outside were set alight.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Suspended jail term for abusive former Miss Australia
A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
