Those who profit from childcare must put safety first, or get out of the industry
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
3 minutes ago
- West Australian
Jordan Spencer: Woman pleads guilty to Shepparton fire attack on Paris Carpio
A woman who set a 20-year-old on fire has made a shock claim about what she used to carry out the horror attack. Jordan Spencer, 34, doused Paris Carpio with petrol in the front yard of her Shepparton home in January last year before igniting the young woman with a lighter. Spencer, a mother of five, appeared in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday for a pre-sentence hearing after pleading guilty to a charge of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence. She would not meet the eye of three members of Ms Carpio's family as she entered court flanked by two custody officers and was seated in the dock. Previously, the court was told Ms Carpio was visiting family and friends in the northern Victorian city on January 15 when she encountered Spencer's boyfriend Rob McLaren while drinking with a friend at Rigg Reserve. Mr McLaren, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, took Ms Carpio's e-scooter and rode off when she'd walked to a nearby milk bar to purchase cigarettes at 5.20pm. About 15 minutes later, Ms Carpio attended Spencer's home 'upset and clearly intoxicated' looking for Mr McLaren, yelling that she wanted her e-scooter back. She spoke to Spencer, who said Mr McLaren wasn't there, and later smashed a window and attempted to force her way into the home. Ms Carpio left after Spencer called triple-0 but returned less than an hour later after spotting Mr McLaren riding the streets on her device. She broke a glass panel near the front door, with Spencer urging her to come inside, saying 'I'll give you what you deserve'. Just before 6.30pm as Ms Carpio was backing away Spencer exited the house, flinging a bowl of petrol at the young woman and repeatedly attempting to ignite the lighter. Outlining the facts of the case, Crown prosecutor John Dickie said CCTV recorded that Spencer 'watched Ms Carpio burning' before picking up her lighter and going inside. Ms Carpio suffered severe burns to her upper body and was rushed to hospital in Melbourne in a critical state, while Spencer walked to a neighbour's house and attempted to blame her victim. Inside her home police discovered a jerry can with two litres of petrol on a kitchen bench and the jet lighter on the dining table. In recorded jailhouse calls, Spencer blamed Mr McLaren for 'causing the whole instigation of the f--king argument' and claiming she was 'f--ked' because he hadn't removed the CCTV recording. 'Yeah, well you didn't come to fix what you started so I had to,' she said. The court was told Spencer maintains the bowl of petrol and lighter had been placed by the front door by Mr McLaren as a home defence tool. She claimed she didn't know what was in the bowl but had been instructed by Mr McLaren to use it if threatened. Justice Andrew Tinney described this claim as 'highly implausible', noting that while there had been a spate of fire attacks in recent memory, they were 'in the heat of the moment' incidents. 'I've never heard of the proposition of protecting a drug house by having a bowl of petrol … it just sounds pretty outlandish,' the judge said. The court was told Spencer had been using methamphetamine in the days leading up to the attack. Called to give evidence on Thursday, clinical psychologist Courtney Steffens said she believed the offending was influenced by Spencer's drug use, traumatic background and diagnoses of complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder. She said she'd assessed Spencer and formed the view that the 'severely disproportionate' reaction was a fear response, linked to concern for her safety and that of her children. 'Because of the impulsivity and emotional dysregulation she didn't think fully about the consequences of her actions,' the psychologist said. This was challenged by Mr Dickie, who argued that Spencer was intent on setting fire to Ms Carpio and motivated by anger towards her. 'I would not be prepared to solely conclude that,' Ms Steffens said. 'My impression was that she was experiencing emotional dysregulation … she was in a state of fear.' In a statement to the court, Ms Carpio, now 22, said her life had been changed forever by an 'act of cruelty and inhumanity' perpetrated by Spencer. 'My family was told multiple times that I might not survive. They watched over me helpless, praying that I would wake up,' she said. 'I am here today, but survival came at enormous cost physically and emotionally and psychologically.' Ms Carpio said before the incident she was a 'joyful person', loving life and feeling comfortable in her own skin. 'Jordan Spencer stole that from me. She didn't just hurt my body, she destroyed a part of my spirit,' she said. 'Every day is a battle to stay alive, to stay hopeful, to believe in something better, but that battle is exhausting. 'No sentence Jordan Spencer receives will ever truly be enough. There is no number of years in prison that can erase the suffering I've endured, the pain, the fear, the depression, the disfigurement, the stolen sense of self.' Spencer will return to court on Monday for a further pre-sentence hearing.
Perth Now
3 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘Outlandish': Judge's disbelief at fire claim
A woman who set a 20-year-old on fire has made a shock claim about what she used to carry out the horror attack. Jordan Spencer, 34, doused Paris Carpio with petrol in the front yard of her Shepparton home in January last year before igniting the young woman with a lighter. Spencer, a mother of five, appeared in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday for a pre-sentence hearing after pleading guilty to a charge of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence. She would not meet the eye of three members of Ms Carpio's family as she entered court flanked by two custody officers and was seated in the dock. Jordan Spencer has pleaded guilty. NewsWire/Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia Previously, the court was told Ms Carpio was visiting family and friends in the northern Victorian city on January 15 when she encountered Spencer's boyfriend Rob McLaren while drinking with a friend at Rigg Reserve. Mr McLaren, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, took Ms Carpio's e-scooter and rode off when she'd walked to a nearby milk bar to purchase cigarettes at 5.20pm. About 15 minutes later, Ms Carpio attended Spencer's home 'upset and clearly intoxicated' looking for Mr McLaren, yelling that she wanted her e-scooter back. She spoke to Spencer, who said Mr McLaren wasn't there, and later smashed a window and attempted to force her way into the home. Ms Carpio left after Spencer called triple-0 but returned less than an hour later after spotting Mr McLaren riding the streets on her device. Paris Carpio suffered burns to 30 per cent of her body. Supplied. Credit: News Corp Australia She broke a glass panel near the front door, with Spencer urging her to come inside, saying 'I'll give you what you deserve'. Just before 6.30pm as Ms Carpio was backing away Spencer exited the house, flinging a bowl of petrol at the young woman and repeatedly attempting to ignite the lighter. Outlining the facts of the case, Crown prosecutor John Dickie said CCTV recorded that Spencer 'watched Ms Carpio burning' before picking up her lighter and going inside. Ms Carpio suffered severe burns to her upper body and was rushed to hospital in Melbourne in a critical state, while Spencer walked to a neighbour's house and attempted to blame her victim. Inside her home police discovered a jerry can with two litres of petrol on a kitchen bench and the jet lighter on the dining table. In recorded jailhouse calls, Spencer blamed Mr McLaren for 'causing the whole instigation of the f--king argument' and claiming she was 'f--ked' because he hadn't removed the CCTV recording. 'Yeah, well you didn't come to fix what you started so I had to,' she said. The court was told Spencer maintains the bowl of petrol and lighter had been placed by the front door by Mr McLaren as a home defence tool. She claimed she didn't know what was in the bowl but had been instructed by Mr McLaren to use it if threatened. Spencer herself suffered burns and was taken to hospital. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia Justice Andrew Tinney described this claim as 'highly implausible', noting that while there had been a spate of fire attacks in recent memory, they were 'in the heat of the moment' incidents. 'I've never heard of the proposition of protecting a drug house by having a bowl of petrol … it just sounds pretty outlandish,' the judge said. The court was told Spencer had been using methamphetamine in the days leading up to the attack. Called to give evidence on Thursday, clinical psychologist Courtney Steffens said she believed the offending was influenced by Spencer's drug use, traumatic background and diagnoses of complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder. She said she'd assessed Spencer and formed the view that the 'severely disproportionate' reaction was a fear response, linked to concern for her safety and that of her children. 'Because of the impulsivity and emotional dysregulation she didn't think fully about the consequences of her actions,' the psychologist said. This was challenged by Mr Dickie, who argued that Spencer was intent on setting fire to Ms Carpio and motivated by anger towards her. 'I would not be prepared to solely conclude that,' Ms Steffens said. 'My impression was that she was experiencing emotional dysregulation … she was in a state of fear.' Paris Carpio's mother Kylie Powell attended the hearing. NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia In a statement to the court, Ms Carpio, now 22, said her life had been changed forever by an 'act of cruelty and inhumanity' perpetrated by Spencer. 'My family was told multiple times that I might not survive. They watched over me helpless, praying that I would wake up,' she said. 'I am here today, but survival came at enormous cost physically and emotionally and psychologically.' Ms Carpio said before the incident she was a 'joyful person', loving life and feeling comfortable in her own skin. 'Jordan Spencer stole that from me. She didn't just hurt my body, she destroyed a part of my spirit,' she said. 'Every day is a battle to stay alive, to stay hopeful, to believe in something better, but that battle is exhausting. 'No sentence Jordan Spencer receives will ever truly be enough. There is no number of years in prison that can erase the suffering I've endured, the pain, the fear, the depression, the disfigurement, the stolen sense of self.' Spencer will return to court on Monday for a further pre-sentence hearing.
Sky News AU
6 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin ‘not worried' about dramatic drop in polls, denies state Liberals in civil war
Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin insists he is 'not worried' about a dramatic drop in the polls showing the Allan government is seemingly on track for a fourth straight election victory. The latest Resolve poll, published by The Age this week, shows the Victorian Coalition's primary support has fallen from 42 per cent to 33 per cent since January. Over the same six-month period, Labor's primary vote has increased from a low of 22 per cent to 32 per cent. The poll puts the Allan government in a position to win their sixth election victory this century, having been out of government for just one four-year term. Asked about the results on Thursday, Mr Battin claimed he was unfazed. 'I'm not worried about it,' Mr Battin told 3AW's Tom Elliott, adding his focus was on fixing the state's crime problem. 'I think that our big thing now is actually we've got to really focus on the fact that there is a crime crisis in this state and we've got to make sure we've got the policies that we can go to the election with that people can trust are going to deliver a safer community. 'That includes our break bail face jail policy, which is our first real policy around crime to ensure that the repeat offenders can't continue to get out and continue to commit violent offenses across Victoria." The state Opposition Leader said the policy would deal with the problem of offenders continuing their slide into criminality while on bail. 'We can't continue to have these violent offenders getting out, or, as we've heard too often, where offenders get out of out on bail for minor crimes, then they continue to work their way up the chain, and then the next thing you know, they're in someone's house with a knife or a machete,' Mr Battin said. 'The system is so broken, there's just no way they're addressing these younger people at an earlier stage and even attacking and being tougher on the causation of crime to stop it moving up.' Mr Battin declined to detail specifics around changes to sentences, but he said it was something his party would 'definitely address' before the election. 'We want to make sure they've got consequences in place for specific crimes… so the community can have confidence that when someone goes into the court system that they're going to be sentenced," he said. 'With things like the coward punch, (sentences) should be a 10 year minimum, and it never gets used. We want to make sure that sentences like that do get used.' When asked about the still ongoing party dispute over the loan provided to former Liberal leader John Pesutto following his landmark defamation loss to fellow Liberal Moira Deeming, Mr Battin claimed it was 'an internal party matter' happening in the Liberal Party's organisational wing and was not impacting the partyroom. 'It's not happening in my party room. Everyone in my party room, I think, is very focused now on what we need to do and we're talking about the areas that we need to focus on, whether it's childcare, safety, the crime that's happening in the streets,' he said. 'We're continuously seeing so many things that are occurring across Victoria that we've got a responsibility now as a party room to focus on that.' Unconvinced by the answer, Elliott pressed the opposition leader, stating that to outsiders it looked 'you've got a still a civil war there and you need to knock it on the head'. However, Mr Battin was denied this was an issue of wider community concern. 'I'll always be working towards making sure the party is working as one, united and it's never easy,' he responded. 'I was out this morning at the Cranbourne train station handing out flyers and not one person raised internal party issues. 'They did raise crime, they did raise roads and they raised cost of living. They are the things that people are talking about, they're the important ones they're focused on.'
