Child sexual abuse in early-childhood care and education settings

When the author was adviser to the Australian Minister for Education for writing the national Safe Schools Framework (2003), meetings were held with early-childhood care and education administrators from all state, Catholic and independent sectors. Their unexpected message was that educators were facing new problems, those of child sexual abuse in early-childhood settings including pupils forcing younger children to provide oral sex. In January 2013, the South Australian Minister for Education lost her position following well-publicised parental anger that the Education Department had concealed the sexual abuse of children in early-childhood centres and schools. Parental outrage led to a Royal Commission and ‘Report of Independent Education Inquiry’ (2013) conducted by former Justice Bruce Debelle QC. Public dissatisfaction with some aspects of the Commission led further to a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry (February 2014) ‘Matters Relating to the Independent Education Inquiry’Footnote1