Westbrook a stain on child welfare

BD: 'I'd favour a couple of things. Firstly on the age of the inmates -- I feel that thirteen to sixteen seems to be a pretty fair gulf between age groups …There must be a lot of complaints when we see there's been ninety escapes since September. And don't forget the report came out in July. So I feel this must be part of an enquiry, not just one taking complaints. Today I've had complaints again from parents … who are too frightened … to come forward, whereas they may come forward to parliamentarians'.

Interviewer:'Well, given the fact that this is part of your portfolio in the shadow cabinet, what improvements in the present system generally, and Westbrook in particular, would you envisage Labor making?'

BD: 'Well, with my parliamentary committee we feel we've got to get the help of interested people -- and there's a lot of people, like social workers, who would like to see an open type of prison … We should be able to come out with a fair comprehensive report'.

COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY

Decades of complaints were brought to a head in 1998 when Queensland Governor Leneen Forde established a Commission of Enquiry. Its report stated 'The evidence from witnesses to the Inquiry and from archival material shows Westbrook to have been a harsh environment, with a heavy emphasis on punitive measures and little on rehabilitation and treatment ... Far from assisting in their rehabilitation, many of the incarcerated children would have left the institution more damaged and dangerous to the community than when they were admitted'.

OFFICIAL APOLOGY

'We the government and churches together welcome the report of the Forde Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions.

'We acknowledge that there have been failures with respect to the children entrusted to our care, despite all the good the Institutions did in the light of their day. The result has been a system in which some children have suffered maltreatment, and their social, emotional, and physical needs have been neglected.

'We sincerely apologise to all those people who suffered in any way while resident in our facilities, and express deep sorrow and regret at the hurt and distress suffered by those who were victims of abuse.

'We accept the finding of the Forde Inquiry that government under-funding and consequent under-resourcing was a significant factor in the failure to provide adequate services to children in care.

'We are committed to establishing and continuing dialogue with victims of abuse in institutions to discuss the basis for providing appropriate responses. We acknowledge that discussions are well advanced between some parties.

'We are committed to working together with victims of abuse in Institutions to ensure the provision of appropriately coordinated services through the establishment of a "one stop shop", as recommended by the Forde Inquiry. This initiative will be integrated with church and government run services and processes for bringing about reconciliation with victims of abuse in institutions. The focus will be on providing victims with the most effective path to healing. We are committed to continuing to provide such services as long as they are needed.