Alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse in Tasmania's out-of-home care system are being examined by Tasmania Police after findings of inaction on abuse by a former government department.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The child sexual abuse inquiry looking at government responses to abuse in the out of home care system found 72 adults with allegations of abuse against them, most were foster and kinship carers or their associates.
Less than half of the 106 allegations of abuse were reported to police, the inquiry said.
READ MORE: Elise Archer resigns from parliament
Education, Children and Youth Minister Roger Jaensch said the allegations would be audited by the government's Joint Safety and Accountability Team, and all state records of allegations were under review by government agencies.
He said registration to work with vulnerable people checks for alleged perpetrators had also been reviewed.
"Tasmania Police has checked the identified alleged perpetrators to determine whether matters have been reported, via various means, for investigation, court proceeding or other outcomes," Mr Jaensch said.
"The Registrar of the Registration to Work with Vulnerable People has also reviewed and matched, where relevant, alleged perpetrators against current and past applicants and registrants under the scheme."
Government reassures public it is acting to keep kids safe in out-of-home care
The comments come after the inquiry's final report highlighted concerns that child sexual abusers may still be working in state systems.
The report said kids in care are at increased risk of child sexual abuse.
It acknowledged that families of children in state care may become concerned about whether their children may have been abused, following the findings in their report.
Mr Jaensch said steps were being taken to ensure children are safe.
"The government will continue our work to ensure foster carers have what they need to provide care that is safe, sustainable, high quality, and meets the complex needs of individual children and young people," he said.
The allegations referred to by the commission of inquiry occurred under the watch of the former Communities Tasmania department that operated from 2018 until 2022.
The government has committed to implementing all 191 recommendations set out in the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Government Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.
It is releasing its full response to the report later this year.
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:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
Follow us on Google News: The Examiner
