CHILD ABUSE. Two recent items in the AGE newspaper are encouraging:

1. CHILD PROTECTION WORKERS will be assigned to some Victorian Schools, depending on need. It seems that at present school staff are hindered in the effectiveness of their reports of child abuse, by the need for corroboration.

Provision for records to be transferred interstate will also be made in future. This follows a case where a family (with extreme child abuse) moved to South Australia to escape further intervention by the authorities.

Child protection is a State matter, which helps to explain some of our difficulties with the Federal Family Court.

I had already realized that it is difficult for these State-run child protection authorities to act on one complaint of abuse. We can therefore notify the school and GP etc, to improve the likelihood of intervention. I don't think either (schools or GPs) can respond to us, but they may take note.

See my next posting for the second item headed CHILD ABUSE

CHILD ABUSE (CONTINUED FROM MY PREVIOUS POSTING)

2. RE: A FEDERAL COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN - possible appointment. This idea has been around for some time but an item in the AGE newspaper 4 October 2008, p 12, indicates that it is again under consideration. This follows a recent report of the Australian Law Reform Commission that 95% of child sex-offenders escape conviction.

Federal Families Minister Jenny Macklin claims to be shocked by the latest figures. I am going to write to her urging swift action.

Her postal address is:

The Hon Jenny Macklin MP
Minister for Families, Housing, Commnunity Services and Indigenous Affairs,
The House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

(She should be addressed as Dear Minister).

Other general tips from the website www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/lobby.html about contacting politicians include

a. That letters (handwritten or typed) or personal interviews are the most effective, and emails the least so. Letters to be signed and to include the sender's name and full address. Don't use form letters etc. Some politicians prefer hand-written letters.

b. State the topic clearly on the first line. e.g. The Appointment of a Federal Commissioner for Children.

c. Start with a clear statement of purpose, such as asking for the speedy appointment of the above.

d. Focus on three important points and keep the letter as brief as is feasible.

e. Ask for concrete action to be taken - perhaps in this case, introducing a Bill.

f. Ask for a response to your letter.

g. Personalise your letter by saying how this issue affects you, your family etc.

h. Personalise any relationship you might have with the politician eg having voted for them, or other evidence of support for them.

Pas was invented by a pedophile. He worked with another pedophile at the False Memory Syndrome Foundation. PAS was invented by this appalling man to cover up pedophilia, as was FMS.

Interested parties may want to view the following on U-Tube:

"Family Court Crisis: Our Children at Risk".You can Google it.

I believe that a full-length film is following.
It would, I feel, be useful to also contact the makers of this film.

Thank you Sunita - I have just watched it. I cannot express how much I wish that Australia would also produce a film, documentary whatever....for the message to be lifted above the current inertia.

Don't our children deserve to be heard? It is so heartbreaking to experience this most wrenching, most soul destroying injustice.

Investigation of abuse allegations - Under what statute are Family Court Reporters empowered to investigate allegations of child abuse?. - that is the responsibility of State Authorities. I would contend that where they are doing so (which is fairly common practice), they are therefore in breach of State Law. They are mandatorily required under State Law to report every such allegation to the State and Police Authorities. No doubt they would claim they are mandated by the Judge but I'm not sure that a Family Court Judge has such powers to override State laws. Nor are Family Court Reporters trained and experienced in investigating allegations of child abuse - so they are acting far outside their professional expertise if they claim a child is fabricating an abuse allegation and such opinion should be ruled inadmissible in a Court.
Do children have the Right under Australian law to appoint their own representatives to give their views to a Court?. At the moment Courts are permitted to appoint Independent Children's Lawyers to represent them, but without consultation or agreement with the children. If children do not have such a right, then that could be held to be a breach of their Human Rights under the U.N. Charter. If they do and are being denied such right by Courts, then that is even more serious. Not consulting with children when making such appointments is an obvious and flagrant breach of children's rights in any case.