NT: Probe amid claims sex abuse cases aren't being passed on
DARWIN Aug 27, AAP - Child protection services in the Northern Territory will be examined,amid claims health workers aren't passing on sex abuse cases to authorities.
Child protection worker Charlie King said almost 200 young abuse victims, includingchildren as young as four, had contracted sexually-transmitted diseases from their attackersin the territory last year.
The territory rate of STD infection in children under the age of 14 was 25 times thenational rate, he said.
But while children were being reported to medical centres with STDs after being attacked,details of the cases weren't being passed on to authorities, he said.
"You don't get STDs by sitting on a seat or getting out of bed - you get them throughpenetration," Mr King told the NT News.
"We've failed our kids year after year, and we're still doing it.
"It's almost like it's okay to sexually abuse girls aged under 14."
NT Health Minister Jane Aagaard today said she had instigated a review into children'sprotection services to address the long-standing issues of abuse and neglect in the territory.
The government was working to address child abuse and neglect in indigenous communitiesas a matter of urgency, she said.
"The NT government has been working hard in the past two years to turn these outcomesaround, particularly the under-reporting of child abuse and neglect," Ms Aagaard said.
"I have instructed my department to contact relevant professionals to ensure they reportsuspected child abuse and neglect."
Ms Aagaard said the NT government had injected $2.4 million into improving childrenand family services across the NT since August 2001, of which $930,000 had been spenton indigenous child protection, community and family support initiatives.
AAP km/ldj/jlw
KEYWORD: CHILDREN NT
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