Latest news with #sexuallyTransmittedInfections
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
STI tests for 800 more children amid abuse allegations; Hannah Thomas pleads not guilty; and pint-sized pubs
Good afternoon. An additional 800 Victorian children are being recommended for testing for sexually transmitted infections after four more childcare centres were added to the list of known workplaces of alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown. More dates have also been added for 10 other childcare centres, with police now saying they believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. In their statement, police said establishing Brown's complete work history had been 'extremely complex' as childcare providers do not have centralised records. It meant detectives had to 'execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information'. Federal court dismisses Torres Strait climate case but warns of 'bleak future' without urgent action NSW police yet to withdraw protest charge against Hannah Thomas as promised as she pleads not guilty Domestic violence case management not 'core business' of police, Queensland's top cop says Australian journalists confronted by Chinese security guards during PM's Beijing trip Mark Latham denies abuse claims made in court documents by former partner Card payment surcharges should be banned for debit and credit payments, RBA says Antisemitism happens – it's bad! But there are already a gazillion anti-protest laws. Do we need more? It's not unreasonable or racist to protest against genocide, says First Dog on the Moon. 'This is an attempt by the eSafety commission to turn this hearing into a royal commission into certain aspects of X.' Lawyers acting for social media giant X fired back at the eSafety commissioner in a case over how the platform handles terror content. The administrative review tribunal is considering whether Julie Inman Grant was correct to issue a notice to X in March last year to report on how it deals with terror content on its platform. When eSafety lawyers asked an X employee during cross-examination whether she was aware that X's owner, Elon Musk, had referred to Grant as the 'commissar', X argued Musk's view was irrelevant. Mitchell Starc has produced one of the all-time great bowling spells as Australia kept the West Indies to the second-lowest Test innings score in history. The match in Jamaica was full of notable numbers: Starc notched his 400th wicket in his 100th Test with a whopping 6 wickets for just 9 runs, Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick, while the West Indies' second innings lasted just 14.3 overs, the third-shortest innings on record. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion David Hourigan's intricate miniature models of beloved music venues around Melbourne are so realistic that it can be hard to tell whether you are looking at a photo of the Espy or the Tote – until Hourigan's big hands loom into view. The artist likes to recreate venues that have closed or are in danger of closing: 'I want to preserve these before they disappear.' Today's starter word is: UNCI. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email. If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- The Guardian
Additional 800 children to be tested for STIs as police investigate accused Melbourne childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown
More than 800 additional children are being recommended for testing for sexually transmitted infections after four more childcare centres were added to a list of known workplaces of alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown. Additional dates have been added for 10 other childcare centres, with police citing incomplete records from the providers for the discrepancies. Earlier this month police revealed the 26-year-old childcare worker had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Along with the health department, they released a list of 20 childcare centres where Brown worked between January 2017 and May 2025 and his known employment dates. Approximately 2,600 families with children who attended the centres were contacted, with 1,200 advised to undergo screening for sexually transmitted infections. Detectives from the sexual crimes squad on Tuesday confirmed four more centres had been added to Brown's work history. They are: Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on 29 August 2024 Milestones Early Learning Tarneit on 10 September 2024 and 13 September 2024 Milestones Early Learning Braybrook on 4 December 2024 and 6 December 2024 Milestones Early Learning Greensborough on 5 December 2024, 31 January 2025 and 27 February 2025 Ten of the 20 centres already identified have also been updated based on new information provided to police, while Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing has been removed from the list after further investigation determined the information was incorrect. Police now believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. In their statement, police said establishing Brown's complete work history had been 'extremely complex' as childcare providers do not have centralised records. It meant detectives had to 'execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information.' Police also had to interview witnesses to verify details and provide an accurate account of Brown's employment history, as well as asses more than 270 Crimestoppers reports. 'We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us,' Acting Cmdr Janet Stevenson said. 'Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public. 'I understand there are people who will be frustrated and I want to reinforce that this is a continually evolving and changing situation. What hasn't changed is that this investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria police.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The health department said it was contacting 830 additional families as a result of the new information, with 800 children recommended for testing. 'This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,' the Victorian chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said. 'Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we've received to date as part of this investigation reaffirms that the risk is low.' Families will be contacted initially via SMS and then with a phone call. The department urged families to check the updated list of childcare centres and employment dates before calling its advice line. In a statement, Affinity Education Group, which operates many of the listed centres, apologised to affected families. 'We are deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families – no family should have to go through this. We are committed to supporting every family impacted whilst continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues,' a spokesperson said. 'We share the urgency in ensuring that affected families receive accurate and timely information. Affinity has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.' The group provided police with updated employment records for Brown on 3 July.
