Hon Rachel Sanderson MP

Minister for Child Protection

Tuesday 4 December 2018

Progress to better protect children from institutional

child sexual abuse
The State Government will today table the first annual report for the Royal Commission into
Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, detailing significant steps that have been taken to
better protect children.
This whole-of-government report, which is the first of five, demonstrates the work happening across
agencies to make institutions safer for children.
Minister for Child Protection Rachel Sanderson said the government was already taking action to
strengthen protections for children and young people and better support victims and survivors.
“The extent of child sexual abuse uncovered by the Royal Commission is deeply disturbing –
nothing can excuse the horrific sexual abuse that children experienced in institutions that were
meant to protect them,” said Minister Sanderson.

“It has now been six months since we released our initial response to the Royal Commission and
the State Government has made significant progress in this time.

“The State Government is taking strong action to recognise and support people who experienced
abuse in the past and to better protect children in the future.

“However, it is important that we don’t look at this Royal Commission in isolation.

“We must take a one-system approach to reform, which will bring together previous royal
commissions and inquiries into a holistic, evidence-based future strategy.

“This future reform strategy will use a public health approach that spans from prevention to
intervention, which is widely recognised as best practice and was recommended by the Royal
Commission.”
Key activities highlighted in the first annual report include:

• Delivering a formal apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse

• Formalising South Australia’s participation in the National Redress Scheme

• Removing time limits to seek compensation for people who have experienced child abuse

• Establishing SAPOL’s Public Protection Branch to manage high-risk offenders and respond
to the needs of victims

Media Contact: Katrina Stokes 0481 903 371

 • Creating the new role of Aboriginal Commissioner for Children and Young People

• Bringing new child safety laws into effect to support the voice of the child and improve
experiences in out-of-home care

• Implementing mandatory reporting requirements for ministers of religion who receive

information through a confession.

Minister Sanderson said child safety was a shared responsibility, which was reflected in the whole-
of-government approach.

“The State Government is taking steps to make sure the serious failures of the past are not
repeated, so that our children and young people can grow up safe, happy and healthy,” said
Minister Sanderson.

“Government, non-government, religious and community institutions must keep making changes to
become child-safe by improving their culture, structure and governance.

“The State Government will continue to work with our counterparts in other states and territories, as
well as federally to ensure we have a consistent, national approach that ensures children and young
people are better protected.”

BACKGROUND
The Royal Commission made 409 recommendations for change through 4 staged reports.

The Government of South Australia is responsible for 256 of these recommendations:

• 199 recommendations have been accepted, accepted in principle or accepted in part. Of

these:

o 66 are complete

o 92 are being implemented

o 41 are in planning or have not yet commenced.

• 56 recommendations are for further consideration.

• 1 recommendation is not accepted.

Each recommendation from the Royal Commission that is the responsibility of the Government of
South Australia has been allocated to a government agency. These agencies are responsible for
implementing accepted recommendations and ensuring that the intent of each recommendation is
met at a local level.

The Royal Commission recommended that each Commonwealth, state and territory government
report annually on progress towards implementing its recommendations.

Many of the recommendations complement reform that is already underway following South
Australia’s Child Protection Systems Royal Commission, which concluded in 2016.

Media Contact: Katrina Stokes 0481 903 371