CHILD PROTECTION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): My question is again to the Premier. Can the Premier advise why, instead of support from the education department for the regional school rape victim and his family, they were told the regional director was on holiday?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development) (14:21): I am very happy to take these questions because this is the very essence of the work that Justice Debelle will get to the bottom of. In the past—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: In the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, have you answered your question?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Madam Speaker, can I ask the Leader of the Opposition to repeat the question? I may have misheard her.

Mrs REDMOND: The question was to the Premier, who was the minister at the time, as to why, instead of support from the education department for the regional school rape victim and his family, they were told the director was away on holiday?

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I beg your pardon; it was in relation to the earlier question. I believe we are all referring to the same case, and I can inform the house that contact has been made with this mother in the last—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! You have asked a question; you will listen to the answer.

Mr Pisoni: Today—two years after.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: That's correct, the Leader of the Opposition is absolutely correct. We are dealing with an event that occurred two years ago, but I am advised that contact was made with me yesterday. It was either yesterday or today—anyway, very recently—

Mr Pisoni: Monday, it was. It was Monday.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —and we have arranged for that family, who have expressed a very strong desire to maintain and have their confidentiality respected, to have senior officers meet with them today and that is occurring. Can I implore all members in this place to respect the privacy of individuals and to acknowledge that we are dealing with families and with children who are vulnerable here. We must, of course, act responsibly and discharge our obligations—

Mr Pederick: Two years later.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: —and we are doing that, but we must also do this with a view to not retraumatising, not revictimising people who are suffering. I urge the opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI: Over the course of the next few days, weeks, months these events will stir other events in other individuals, in other families, and we will do our best to provide the appropriate, the correct response in the most timely way that we can. That often involves going back many years, and we will do our very best to get to the bottom of what has transpired.