|
A report commissioned by the Northern Territory state government has found that sexual abuse of young children is occurring in at least 43 Indigenous communities. The Federal Government has responded by taking control of 60 communities and the NT Government has announced it will appoint a Commissioner for Children and Young People, to assist in the prosecution of child sex cases.
The Little Children are Sacred: Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse is available online.
Report findings
The Little Children are Sacred report contains allegations of sexual abuse of children in 43 Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The authors of the report, Pat Anderson and Rex Wilde QC, found that diverse social problems were fuelling the problem—primarily alcohol abuse; low rates of education; and the presence of pornography which, the report claims, many young Indigenous children are exposed to.
'Where those conditions prevail, we know from the literature and certainly from our findings, where there is unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, drug taking, overcrowding, unemployment and what have you, you can guarantee that those children, at some point, are severely at risk, and eventually are going to be sexually abused.'
—Report co-author, Pat Anderson (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation).
According to the Little Children are Sacred report, NT communities have been plagued by problems of child sexual abuse for decades. Co-author Pat Anderson indicated that previous government attempts to deal with abuse and social problems had failed due to their inadequate timelines and funding:
' ... everywhere we went there was complaints about short-term, one-off Government programs that would start for 12 months or 18 months. The money was withdrawn, it doesn't matter how good the program was, it just sort of disappeared … So what we're talking about here with our report is we have to have a strategy which is going to go beyond a mere electoral cycle ... it has to be bipartisan support by both Governments, and Government agencies.'
Key recommendations of the report include:
- NT to provide strong leadership on the issue of child sexual abuse
- a Commissioner for Children and Young People be appointed
- more sex offender rehabilitation programs
- a Government restriction on access to takeaway alcohol.
The report is hopeful about a solution but claims it will take billions of dollars and strong political will.
Read the transcripts of ABC Radio's PM programs 'Child abuse rife in Aboriginal communities: report' and 'Aboriginal communities abundant with child abuse: report'.
Read the transcripts of ABC TV's Lateline programs 'Report uncovers widespread Indigenous child abuse' and 'Co-author comments on report into Indigenous child abuse'.
NT Government response
The NT Chief Minister, Clare Martin, acknowledged that the Little Children are Sacred report indicated her government had not adequately protected Indigenous children.
'I don't think we've done enough, but we've certainly started turning around the lack of action that there was for many years before we came to government ... So we've got a lot of work to do. I recognise the difficulty of that, the complexity of that, but that is the challenge for the Northern Territory.'
Martin added that some of the report's recommendations were already being put in place:
'We've introduced tough alcohol restrictions in places like Alice Springs and have passed new laws to combat petrol sniffing, but more needs to be done and we will do it.
'We have Aboriginal children in remote communities graduating from secondary school for the first time, but more needs to be done and we will do it.
'The government has also committed to introduce an education campaign around the negative effects of pornography in remote communities.
'[And] next week the Parliament will debate the Evidence of Children Amendment Bill which will make it easier for child victims of alleged sexual abuse to give evidence in court.'
The NT Government has also announced that it will appoint a Commissioner for Children and Young People to assist in the prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.
Read World News Australia's 'NT commissioner on abuse cases'.
Federal Government involvement
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough, responded to the findings of the Little Children are Sacred report, stating that there was a need for the Federal Government to work with the NT Government.
'We have to take brave action and we have to take the action that some people are going to find very difficult to stomach, but if we don't, you'll be back here in 10 years with exactly the same sort of story, with more children being hurt, and that's not something any of us in this nation should tolerate.'
Read the transcript of ABC Radio's PM program 'Brough responds to child abuse report'.
Read The Australian's 'Aboriginal abuse "should shock all"'.
Prime Minister John Howard has announced the Federal Government will take control of 60 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, instituting laws banning alcohol and pornography. He also indicated that there were plans to introduce compulsory health checks for Aboriginal children under 16.
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has voiced his support for Howard's actions:
'Some have asked why we've provided bipartisan support in principle for this initiative, and the reason is pretty simple—and that is when it comes to the abuse of children, when it comes to the sexual abuse of children, we have a responsibility as a community and as a nation to act decisively.'
Read World News Australia's 'Rudd defends supporting Howard'.
Response to Federal moves
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said the new federal laws—which will remove the permit system currently present in NT Indigenous communities—may do greater harm than good:
'Permits have been a major tool in regulating access to communities—something that will be a key issue in preventing grog running with alcohol restrictions in place.'
Calma has also expressed agreement with the concerns of Aboriginal activist, Mick Dodson, that the federal plan doesn't include preventative measures against violence or provide follow-up services, including assistance to help people deal with alcohol addiction.
'My concern with the Federal Government's proposal is that it doesn't put in place the preventative measures that Indigenous people need to stop the violence, and then prevent it from re-occurring … Nor does it provide the measures or services to support Indigenous people once these changes are made. How will people be assisted to safely come off their alcohol or substance addiction?'
Central Land Council's director, David Ross, stated that any response to the problem must occur in consultation with Aboriginal elders.
Read World News Australia's 'PM plan "may worsen situation"'.
The National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), who contributed to the Little Children are Sacred report, welcomed the Federal Government's announcement, but stressed the necessity of approaching the problem holistically:
'International evidence shows that the successful prevention of child abuse and neglect requires an integrated and multifaceted approach. Dealing with law and order and alcohol abuse is an essential part of the picture, but by itself is not enough.
'To overcome this crisis, these traumatised communities are going to need services such as counselling, health services (including detox and rehab facilities), shelters for women and children and an education program across the entire community.'
Read 'NAPCAN welcomes a national approach to child abuse and neglect and recognises the Australian Government response as a first step'.
Further reading
Related items on the Early Childhood Australia website:
If you liked this article, you can 'social bookmark' it with others who might be searching for good content on early childhood. This means you can share your favourite webpages with others, or just keep an online list of your bookmarks so you can access them on any computer.
Read more about social bookmarks
|
|
