A Tasmanian woman who endured sexual, physical and emotional abuse as a foster child fears the department is still failing vulnerable children "over and over", and little has changed.
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Azra Beach gave evidence to the Commission of Inquiry on Thursday, detailing how the physical abuse she suffered as a young child in foster care - including having her arm broken, aged four - led her into the arms of two men who sexually abused her.
She said the lack of love or care in her foster home meant she saw the sexual abuse as a form of affection.
"He was someone that I loved and trusted and I felt safe with him. He was my safety," Ms Beach said.
In one instance, Ms Beach was called to a meeting at the school with a foster family member who "worded" her up beforehand, then intimidated her by squeezing her hand with her nails throughout.
During much of the physical abuse she endured, Ms Beach had not been informed that this was not her biological family.
She said she had attempted to raise concerns about her care, and the care of other children in the home, but was ignored.
"I think that particularly throughout my ... early childhood years ... I believe that we tried to raise concerns and they were completely dismissed as us having overactive imaginations," Ms Beach said.
"These poor [children] were subjected to so much abuse from [a foster family member] ... it was like completely and utterly dismissed. They did not investigate, they didn't do anything. They just sat back and watched us.
"They basically set us up to fail as adults."
One day, she was told she would be sent away for 14 days. At the end of this period, she called the family and was hung up on.
Ms Beach was moved into a group home, then into another foster family who she said were not give any preparation for the behavioural challenges she had developed.
Search for an apology still unanswered, fears for others
During her quest to get justice for her experiences, Ms Beach received a letter from former children's commissioner David Fanning which she said promised that her story would not be in vain.
But she said the out of home care system was still broken, providing examples to the commission of other children she had concerns for.
"From what I'm seeing and where I live right now ... all I see is the department failing children over and over and over again," Ms Beach said.
"Then you've got the police force that look at these kids like, they're nothing but trouble, so then the police have got their backs up against these children."
Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse in Tasmania:
- Girl first faced abusive teacher, then James Griffin at LGH
- Mother's LGH nurse complaint ignored, daughter left 'screaming'
- Tasmania to bring in US-style therapy for at-risk youth
- How a 'confusing' web of integrity bodies could harm oversight in Tasmania
- Tasmanian children put back in abusive homes due to system failures
- 'Cultures of hate': gender diverse child accosted in school
- Anatomy of a failure: how teacher abuse allegations were ignored
- Four schools raise concerns about relief teacher's conduct, no action taken
- Abuse victims lose out over government's 'aggressive' approach
She eventually received a payout via the redress scheme, but described this process as drawn out and effectively a "slap in the face" for the abuse she endured.
Attempting to get an apology from the government has also been an impossible task, despite an assurance from a senior Tasmanian politician.
"No one should have to chase up their own apology at all," Ms Beach said.
"I think what makes this even worse is that the people that I have spoken with already knew that this was happening long before this commission even came about
"I'd raised it so many times.
"But I suppose because of who I am, and you know sometimes how I talk and how I communicate, I felt again completely dismissed."
Out of home care children targeted by predators
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins agreed that children in the out of home care system were still being targeted by predators looking to exploit them.
Police have increasingly ramped up their focus on online-based child exploitation, but there was no specific program for face-to-face policing regarding child exploitation in Tasmania.
Evidence earlier this week included claims that Child Safety Services used the term "self-selecting" for children who left the out of home care system to live in potentially exploitative situations with adults.
Assistant Commissioner Higgins said it would take all agencies working together to address the problem.
"Face-to-face child exploitation is really a partnership as opposed to a formal program," he said.
"Over the past 18 months with the Department of Education with their new position that was created regarding safeguarding children, those relationships there, that is really in the education system and information sharing, not police delivering programs."
The Child, Young Persons and Their Families Act has scope for people to be charged in relation to the care of children, but just four people had been subjected to offences since 2000.
When questioned what level of investigation police could undertake if they were given evidence of a child living with an adult in an exploitative arrangement, he said there were ways of intervening, but there was potential to do more.
"We're better able to identify those triggers, those key things, particularly the input from other agencies as well so we're not doing it alone," Assistant Commissioner Higgins said.
"We are the only 24-hour agency I suppose that becomes the catch all after 5pm at night until 8am in the morning.
"It may not mean that there is prosecutions, but it may mean that we are able to intervene with the child, the adult, or both, to try and prevent that behaviour.
"We can't put our hand on our heart and say it'll work every time, and that's the sad reality of it."
Sexual assault support services:
- Sexual Assault Support Service (Tasmania): 1800 697 877
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- Tasmania's Victims of Crime Service: 1300 300 238
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