Systems of abuse: governments' failure to address child protection issues

Problem: Victoria has never taken the prevention of child abuse seriously. Example: while there have been some piecemeal programs, the investment of resources is risible. (In Britain, billions of pounds are being invested in early childhood initiatives and similar efforts are being made in Canada).

Problem: neither side of politics, state or federal, places sufficient emphasis on the rights of children to care and protection. Example: there are no federal standards for any aspect of child protection and in Victoria. Sherryl Garbutt is the third minister in the portfolio since Steve Bracks came to office.

Nothing demonstrates this lack of care and attention more clearly than the death of a child. If the Folbigg children had lived and died in Victoria. Their brief lives and terrifying deaths would not have been worthy of the attention of the department's Child Death Review Committee. This is because it is not a Child Death Review Committee at all, but rather a "Child Death Review - only if the child has been known to the department in the last three months of his or life - Committee". There is no justification for this, other than a desire to limit government responsibility. The fact that a murdered child was not known to the department may be the most important incriminating aspect of any review.

Mercifully few children die of abuse and neglect. Many who are abused and neglected, however, will carry into adulthood awful memories of what happened and of our responses to their abuse. Some have suggested there are potentially massive legal liabilities that could arise from the government's failure in its duty of care. That is the least of our problems.

If we need such a reason to respond to vulnerable children in need of protection, it does not say much for us. But if we need a reason to respond - if the department needs a reason to panic - all we need to do is remember that today's children who are repeatedly failed by the government will be tomorrow's adults; and many of them will be tomorrow's parents.