More abused black kids put in care
08.12.2005
RECORD numbers of Aboriginal children on remote communities in Queensland are being taken into care because of a ``zero tolerance'' attitude to child abuse being adopted by police and child protection agencies.
Most Gulf and Cape York communities -- with populations ranging from 800 to 1500 people -- have at least 40 abused or neglected children taken from local families and placed with foster-carers.
Child Protection Minister Mike Reynolds said yesterday that in the four months to October there were 13 notifications of abuse on Mornington Island and 23 at Doomadgee in the lower Gulf.
He said the main reported form of abuse was neglect.
``The Queensland police service policy to refer all matters where children witness domestic violence may in part account for the high level of emotional harm reports on Mornington Island,'' Mr Reynolds said.
``On Mornington, 17 children are on protection orders and four subject to intervention agreements. In Doomadgee, there are 45 children on child protection orders and a further 11 subject to intervention with parental agreement.''
Cape York GP Lara Wieland, who works for Noel Pearson's Cape York Institute, said the figures for the communities were ``horrific''.
``None of these notifications are for child sexual abuse and that has not suddenly disappeared,'' Dr Wieland said. ``People know it is happening but don't speak out. Communities need to take more responsibility for this.
``But similarly, the victims and the notifiers need more protection and guarantee of action.''
Dr Wieland said there was little incentive to report child sexual abuse when cases against known pedophiles were dropped or they were given bail.
``The system is wrong when a girl can be raped, have physical injuries, give a statement to police -- and the case is thrown out because the young girl won't repeat her testimony in court after being threatened,'' she said.
``Why is it that communities talk of their ability to banish people for various reasons, yet convicted pedophiles and rapists are often welcomed back with open arms?
``The community, and in particular the children, see that and it sends a loud, clear and unfortunate message.''
Criminologist Tania Major, who was the youngest person elected as an ATSIC representative, is working on youth crime prevention at her home community of Kowanyama on Cape York.
She also is concerned at the numbers of children being taken away.
Ms Major, who has just returned from working in the US, said she was astounded that people who had been convicted of breaches of alcohol management legislation, including sly-grogging, were allowed to stay as councillors.
``There are five members of the Kowanyama council who have convictions and the Government should not be allowing people with convictions to be making decisions concerning alcohol management on communities,'' Ms Major said.
``Since the alcohol management plan has been operating in Kowanyama there has been a 63 per cent increase in child protection orders, because more people are just getting drunk and neglecting their children,'' she said
