SA report finds 500 children in ‘particularly high-risk settings’

The South Australian government says it has identified approximately 500 children in particularly high-risk settings, as part of a review of its child protection system.

Two reviews were undertaken, one prompted by the deaths of a seven-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl in separate incidents earlier this year, and another that assessed the status of all previous coronial and other recommendations relating to child protection.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said the “principle” reason for the reviews were to determine whether there were other children at risk and to “ameliorate” that risk.

He said a “coordinated response” with SA Police and multiple government agencies was underway to check on the welfare of all of those 500 children as quickly as possible.

Mr Malinauskas said “there have been failings” and the government was acting immediately.

“Governments can’t be loving, caring parents and guardians like parents and guardians themselves can be,” he said.

“But what we can do is accept that the responsibility and authority that is invested within government demands action and investment in any way and every way possible to protect children where we can.”

Mr Malinauskas said the government has accepted “in principle” all 31 recommendations from one review and two out of three recommendations from the other.

“What is clear from both these reports is there is much work to do, but also acknowledge that there is good work also being done,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said there had been 811 recommendations around child protection from independent reviews, royal commissions and coronial inquiries since 2016.

He said 78 per cent of those recommendations had been completed.

“Less than one per cent of those 811 recommendations has the decision been made not to proceed with them,” he said.

More to come.