Clarity sought in child sex fight
CAIRNS Mayor Bob Manning is seeking more details over the outcome of the long-awaited Queensland Government Youth Sexual Violence and Abuse Steering Committee report.
Cr Manning met with Smallbone Report author former justice Stanley Jones yesterday, a day after the state government pledged $12 million over three years to tackle the endemic problem of child sexual violence.
But details remain unclear about just how much will go to Cairns and Aurukun. The government said this week it had “instituted $1.2 million in initiatives” for the two communities over the past three years.
The 2016 Smallbone report showed the rate of sexual offences in Aurukun was 6.6 times the state average, with West Cairns 2.2 times greater, over a 12-year period.
The YSVASC final report, ordered after the Smallbone findings, was released this week after being kept secret for 16 months.
It revealed at least seven children fell victim to sexual abuse every day in Queensland between 2008 and 2016, with the State Government admitting figures were likely to be much higher due to under-reporting.
Across the eight years from 2008-09 to 2015-16, there were between 2300 and 2600 young victims reported each year to police. Both Cr Manning and Aurukun Mayor Dereck Walpo were part of the steering committee.
Cr Manning said he did not want to comment on the outcome yet, hoping to clarify what the funding would mean for Cairns.
Queensland child safety minister Di Farmer said it was “unacceptable” for indigenous people to be twice as likely to suffer sexual violence.
“We cannot accept that indigenous people are twice as likely to suffer sexual violence,” Ms Farmer said.
“Or that women and girls with intellectual disabilities have a 90 per cent chance of being assaulted.”
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IF YOU mastered last weekend’s four extra large crosswords, get ready for another cranial challenge in Saturday’s Weekend Post.
Put your knowledge to the test with a single full-page crossword, perfect for a lazy Sunday or even as a distraction in the office.
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Don’t forget to pick up the Weekend Post next week for the final instalment of the Mega Crossword & Word Search insert featuring a massive word search puzzle.