Motions

Child Protection

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:02): On indulgence, I rise to recognise that on 17 June 2008, just over 10 years ago, this house made an apology to the children in state care. This historically significant apology followed on from the Mullighan inquiry into institutional abuse of children in South Australia and was an important acknowledgement of the abuse suffered by children in our state's institutions. Victims of abuse bravely came forward to lift the curtain of silence on abuse. These courageous individuals have through this action protected others, and we are forever grateful that people have had the courage to speak up.

At the time of the apology 10 years ago, it was widely recognised that the importance of an apology should not and could not be underestimated, and this is still very true today. An apology is an opportunity to look backwards and express regret but, as importantly, it provides an opportunity to look forward to how we can do things differently, how we can do things better.

My government is committed to strengthening protections for children and young people, providing them with every opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. Over the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed every state in Australia join the National Redress Scheme, and, while this will never take away the pain experienced by those who suffered abuse, we hope it will go some way towards supporting survivors in their journey towards healing, particularly in light of the systemic failures of authorities in the past who could have and should have listened and protected the most vulnerable people in our community.

We are reforming recruitment practices for the child protection workforce to ensure that we can attract and retain the right people to be on the front line supporting vulnerable children—children who deserve and need our protection the most. We will also ensure that young people who have suffered a hard start in life are able to get on their feet as they become adults, and that is why we are making foster care and kinship care payments available for people up to the age of 21.

We know that there remains a disproportionate number of Aboriginal children in care, and we know that we must do much more to deal with the poor outcomes for Aboriginal children in child protection, education, health and justice. That is why we are in the process of appointing an Aboriginal children's commissioner to develop policies and practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children, assisting Aboriginal families and communities to keep children safe in culturally appropriate ways.

Of course, we will continue to work towards implementing the recommendations of the state-based Child Protection Systems Royal Commission, many of which overlap or complement recommendations of the federal royal commission. Today, I give the absolute commitment of my government to stand with those who have experienced abuse, to look backwards and to learn from the past but also to look forward, to work together and to do everything in our power to protect the vulnerable. Child protection is everyone's business, and each and every one of us has a role to play in keeping children and young people safe from harm.

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): Today, I rise to mark an important anniversary for South Australia. On 17 June 2008, the Hon. Mike Rann stood up in this place and delivered a formal apology on behalf of the government and this parliament to children who were abused in state care. That apology was a culmination of three years of work to shine a light on historical cases of sexual abuse and better protect our most vulnerable children.

In 2004, the then Labor government appointed the Hon. Ted Mullighan QC, a former justice of the Supreme Court, to commence an inquiry into children in state care. That was an enormous task. During Mr Mullighan's inquiry, he took evidence from 792 people who came forward to tell their harrowing stories of being victims of sexual abuse, and it was clear in Mr Mullighan's report that the inquiry had a profound effect on him. In the preface to his report, commissioner Mullighan wrote, and I quote:

As the Inquiry progressed I soon felt a deep sense of privilege and responsibility at having been entrusted with the disclosures of people's most painful memories. I observed their selflessness and courage in sharing their stories as part of their process of healing, but also their desire to assist in some way to prevent future sexual abuse of children in State care.

One excerpt from commissioner Mullighan's report gives a small snapshot of the kind of suffering and long-term impact child sexual abuse had on one individual. The individual, to whom the commission referred as witness PIC, was 10 years old when he was placed in state care, as his father was an alcoholic and violent when drunk. Soon after, he was placed in Glandore home and was sexually abused by a man who worked there. His abuser said of the incident to the then 10-year-old boy, 'Only sooks cry. Stop crying, you bloody sook.' PIC says that he told a nurse about the incident a week later and, in his words:

I explained it all to the nurse and she was very kind. She gave me a hug and told me not to worry about it, just keep away from him as she'd take care of it for me.

PIC says that no-one followed up on that incident and he did not hear anything else about it. In his words, 'I just let it go and got on with my life in the home.' But, in coming forward to the commission of inquiry, he says, 'The actual abuse has always been there with me in my mind.' PIC's individual story is like that of many others.

Over the course of Mr Mullighan's inquiry, he heard 1,592 allegations dating back to the 1930s. Of those harrowing accounts of abuse spanning across half a century, Mr Mullighan produced a 600-page report and referred 170 people with information about 434 alleged paedophiles to police. In accepting Mr Mullighan's report, the former premier Mike Rann made a commitment to accept 52 of the 54 recommendations contained within Mr Mullighan's Children in State Care report.

One key commitment the former premier made at the time was a formal apology to those former wards of our state who were abused in state care, and that is what we commemorate here today. It has been 10 years since that historic and authentic apology was delivered in this place to those members of our community who were robbed of their childhood, their innocence and, for many of them, their potential to be the best version of themselves.

Following the apology motion in the parliament, premier Mike Rann; the former minister for families and communities, Jay Weatherill; and the Salvation Army and representatives of the Anglican, Catholic, Uniting and Lutheran churches signed a shared apology to survivors of abuse. The apology was signed at a ceremony attended by more than 100 survivors.

We must honour that apology with real actions and ensure that children and young people are better protected against vile perpetrators of abuse—and real actions have been taken since that apology, such as establishing a keeping them safe curriculum delivered in schools tailored to young people in age appropriate ways. That curriculum was a key recommendation of the Mullighan report and helps to better protect our children with two key things: that children have the right to be safe and that children can be kept safe by talking to people they can trust.

Other key recommendations have been implemented since that apology was given, and it is utterly appropriate that this place reiterate that apology and continue to commit itself to real actions to prevent such abuses occurring ever again.