The latest statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show incidences of child protection notifications or investigations are up to five times higher in the Northern Territory than in other states around Australia.
Discussing the findings, Sky News Darwin Bureau Chief Matt Cunningham said the statistics are “certainly not good”.
“They’re certainly not good from a Northern Territory point of view,” Mr Cunningham said.
The latest available data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows 95.5 children per 1000 in the NT were the subject of an investigation or notification to child protection services in 2020/2021.
Mr Cunningham said the data shows that “when it comes to child protection notifications or investigations – they are significantly higher, up to five times higher in the Northern Territory than anywhere else”.
“New South Wales there are 23 per thousand head of population, Victoria 21, Queensland 19.8, Western Australia 19.2 – in the Northern Territory 95.5 child protection notifications and investigations per 1000 head of population.”
The data comes after Opposition leader Peter Dutton was recently criticised by senior Labor politicians after he raised the issue of child sexual abuse during a visit to Alice Springs this week.
He said he had been told by police and social workers that abused children were being returned to the care of the people who had abused them.
News Source: www.skynews.com.au
