Tasmanian Education Department's past failures to keep sexual abuse reporting records frustrates victims

The first recommendation from the independent inquiry into the Tasmanian Education Department's responses to child sexual abuse highlights problems with the "reliability, validity, accessibility and completeness" of records as far back as the 1960s.

The inquiry recommends that all sexual abuse concerns, complaints, responses and outcomes be systematically recorded and periodically analysed to pick up any trends.

Angela Sdrinis, who is working with separate complainants in a lawsuit against the Education Department, said it was a major barrier in being about to investigate past historical abuse.

READ MORE: Police uncover origin of murder-suicide weapon

"The fact of the department's own poor record keeping is in a sense now protecting the people who facilitated or at least allowed abuse in Tasmanian schools to flourish," she said.

"We know from some of our cases that full disclosure of documents can be staggered because departments responsible for the care of children don't always know what records exist and where they are located.

"How can you protect children when there was no system for documenting and processing complaints?"

One victim of former teacher Anthony LeClerc - who was moved from school to school in the North-West in the 1970s and 80s - had raised a range of concerns about the difficulties in record-keeping at the time.

The independent inquiry also found that from the 1970s to 1990s, the "predominant response" of the department was to "protect itself from what it apparently saw as the legal, financial, and reputational risks" attached to sexual abuse concerns.

Ms Sdrinis said this raised a range of questions that must be addressed.

READ MORE: Tributes flow for 'universally respected' Keith Bradshaw

"The recommendations also beg the question of mandatory reporting," she said.

"Tasmania has had a form of mandatory reporting since the Child Protection Act 1974 which requirements were tightened up in 1997."

Other recommendations noted the "significant inconsistency" in the response of Tasmania Police when notified of alleged sexual abuse in schools, which could have come down to the relationship between local police and the schools.

In the past few months, Tasmania Police set up a dedicated contact for child abuse complainants. Before then, victims were told to call Crime Stoppers or go to their local police station.

READ MORE: Infant's severe sepsis death not reported for two months

Ms Sdrinis said Tasmania Police should have a dedicated historical child abuse investigatory team.

A Tasmania Police spokesperson said it had implemented initial investigation and notification of child sexual abuse guidelines, a working with vulnerable people protocol and a memorandum of understanding between police and Child and Family Services.

An MOU between Tasmania Police and the Education Department is also being developed.

"The Joint Review Team is also undertaking research to ensure appropriate advice is provided to the Premier, in relation to the establishment of a new structure to coordinate investigations involving allegations of child sexual assault or abuse," the Tasmania Police spokesperson said.

The Tasmanian government has fully accepted and commenced the implementation of all 21 of the independent inquiry's recommendations.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: