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A WOMAN who sexually abused her son is still caring for another three of her children. Investigations are under way into how the Department of Child Safety could have found the abuse was substantiated but allowed the women to retain custody of the children. Queensland Child Safety Minister Mike Reynolds has ordered a review of the case. Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail show the department had "concerns pertaining to the future risk of sexual harm of the children", including the abused son, as early as August 2004. But instead of removing the children, the department decided to "attempt to manage the risk". The children were left in the home with supervision and monitoring by the department. Six months later, child safety officers found the mother had sexually harmed the 11-year-old boy. In an application for a child protection order, stamped February 17, 2005, a child safety officer reported that the boy was "a child at risk of ongoing sexual and emotional harm while he resides with (name of mother)". The application said the boy had told departmental staff that "his mother still plays with his 'earthworm' secretly. (The boy) clarified that his 'earthworm' was his penis and he demonstrated to departmental officers how his mother 'tickles' it". The department repeated their concerns to the Family Court in Townsville in a document dated December 1 last year, stating: "The recorded outcome of substantiated sexual harm on (the boy) by his mother remains accurate and correct". Despite the finding, the mother still lives with three children under the age of 10, including a seven-year-old boy. The children's biological father said they had been removed many times because of allegations of sexual abuse, and he could not understand why they were still in her care. "The children are still in danger," the father said. "I believe that if she has messed with one, nobody can tell me the other children are completely left alone. It means they are in jeopardy." He now cares for the 11-year-old boy. Mr Reynolds said he was very concerned about the allegations and had asked for an external reviewer to examine the case in detail. He confirmed the department had been involved with the family for several years, but that many of the official decisions in relation to the family pre-dated the Crime and Misconduct Commission's inquiry into the former families department. Mr Reynolds said he was determined to uncover and "where possible" rectify problems of the past. "The department recognised that there were concerns some time ago, and was in the process of reviewing this case internally by applying current decision-making and case assessment tools to ensure all relevant child protection issues were being properly considered," Mr Reynolds said. "It is important that when matters like this are uncovered that we engage independent experts to look into the concerns so that the complainants and the general public have full confidence in the child protection system." The children's father said he was "overjoyed" by the latest news of a review, but could not understand why it had taken so long. The Courier-Mail (17-2-2006) Tanya Chilcott-Moore/ Margaret Wenham |
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