Forum Topics

The inquiry was asked to:

• Study how and why Aboriginal children were being abused, focusing on unreported cases;

• Identify problems with the way government responds to child abuse and attempts to protect children;

• Look at how government departments and other agencies can better work together to protect and help children;

• Look at how the government can better support and educate Aboriginal communities to prevent child sexual abuse.

An innovative DVD for Aboriginal communities was produced in the early stages of the Inquiry to inform Indigenous communities about the Inquiry. It introduced the Board members, Pat Anderson and Rex Wild QC, and aimed to encourage discussion about ways to better protect Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. 

An Expert Reference Group was appointed in September 2006 and was an important resource for the Board of Inquiry, offering advice and assistance in areas such as best practice approaches in child protection, issues for Aboriginal communities, and consultations with community and stakeholder organisations.  The Reference Group also provided advice in respect of the preparation of the Inquiry’s report and recommendations. 

The 316-page Little Children are Sacred Report that resulted contains 97 recommendations for improving the safety of Aboriginal children in the Territory. The Chief Minister publicly released the report on 15 June 2007. “The Chief Minister agreed to make the report and its recommendations available as widely as possible and committed the government to implementing the report,” Mr Wild said. 

In their Report, Inquiry co-chairs Rex Wild QC and Pat Anderson highlight two key factors in preventing abuse: education and decreased alcohol consumption. 

“Education is the key to helping children and communities nurture safe, well-adjusted families,” they said.  “Getting children to school is essential because they are safe while at school, education provides a way to escape the social and economic problems that contribute to violence, and children can confide in their teachers when they are school.”

Tackling alcohol abuse was equally important, they said, as alcohol remains the “gravest and fastest growing threat to the safety of Aboriginal children”.

“There is a strong association between alcohol abuse, violence and sexual abuse of children.  Alcohol is destroying communities,” they said.

Other key recommendations:

• The need for police and Family and Community Services (FACS) to work more closely together and with communities to build trust;

• An advice hotline so anyone concerned about possible child sexual abuse can call someone for confidential information and advice;

• Empowerment of Aboriginal communities, through mechanisms such as community justice groups;

• The appointment of a Commissioner for Children and Young People who can focus on the interests and well-being of children and young people;

• A range of education campaigns on child abuse, as well as the impact of alcohol, pornography and gambling on communities, families and children.

See the Full Report, Little Children are Sacred

In the context of the processes that were used to develop the Little Children are Sacred Report, I believe that given that the NT government followed an extensive investigative process that relied heavily on community consultation and was prepared to commit to its recommendations, the government's intervention plan has been just that, an intervention. As Linda Burney, Minister for Youth in the New South Wales government has said in response to Howard's 'plan': what would 'white' parents say if their children of 16 years and under were to be forcibly medically examined or investigated? What would 'white' parents say if their suburbs were targeted for entry by police, doctors and bureaucrats without prior communication? (see Dealing in Hypocrisy Article link below).