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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-07-06 Daily Xml
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Child Protection

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Is the minister aware, and, if so, for how long, of any children in state care leaving their homes to be abused by men they meet online in exchange for money, drugs, vapes and cigarettes? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: There is some context. In an ABC radio interview on 4 July about reports in The Advertiser newspaper that children in state care as young as 11 are allegedly leaving their homes to meet men they have met online to sell sex for goods and money, the minister was asked how many children were involved, to which the minister replied:

So what I've just said to you, David, is over any period of time I am made aware of circumstances where children and young people in care are preyed upon by disgusting predators.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:56): Can I first of all just say the term that the member used in his question about children selling sex is not a term that we should ever use because the reality is that children do not have sex, and they certainly do not sell sex if children are, sadly, subject to exploitation, to abuse and to assault. So I just wanted to make that very clear. Exploitation, assault and abuse are utterly sickening and perpetrated by utterly vile predators.

I did want to say that this government has a comprehensive legislative program. A number of parts of that program have already been progressed in this parliament, and that program rightly focuses on holding those disgusting predators to account. What I can also say, sadly, is that a life that begins for children and young people where they are subject to abuse and where they witness violence and substance misuse, makes them, tragically, incredibly vulnerable.

When I first became the Minister for Child Protection, I went about a comprehensive change to policy to make sure that I am kept absolutely abreast. I require and I have an expectation to be kept abreast when vulnerable children are subjected to exploitation and abuse. It is my expectation that I am made aware of those particular instances.

What I would also say really importantly, and I think the Commissioner of Police, Grant Stevens, also traversed this issue on radio in the past couple of days, is that of course SAPOL also rightly receive information and rightly conduct investigations into the behaviour of these vile predators. As the commissioner also said, SAPOL and the Department for Child Protection work very closely together in relation to these horrific matters.

What I would also say, and I did say this on radio the other day, is that it is my expectation that matters are reported to me. It is my expectation that, should any person become aware of suspected instances of abuse or exploitation of children, they should immediately, of course, report it to SAPOL so that appropriate action can be taken.

What I also wanted to let the member know about in response to his question is that there are a number of proactive measures that the Department for Child Protection undertake when there are allegations of abuse, exploitation and assault. What is really important is that for that most vulnerable group of young people in care that response is comprehensive. I have spoken first of all about the work that we do alongside SAPOL when there is an understanding that there is an imminent risk of danger and how closely SAPOL and the department will work together.

What I would also draw the member's attention to is the work that is done by the department to—

Time expired.

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