Child Strip-Search Issue Warrants Investigating

The Tasmanian Greens today announced that they would be writing to the Children’s Commissioner, Ms Aileen Ashford, in light of the public outcry over the recent reports about the strip search of a minor.

Greens spokesperson for Children Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP said that, given the degree of public concern about this recent incident, it would be appropriate for the Children’s Commissioner to be involved to ensure that the rights of the child are being maintained.

At the same time, the Greens strongly believe that this issue should not be exploited for political gain, nor should the child in question and her family become a political or media football and that no one should jump to conclusions, added Mr O’Halloran.

“I will be writing to Ms Ashford requesting that she seeks involvement in any review of the relevant Acts, as well as investigates the recent incident itself to ensure that all obligations to the child involved have been met,” said Mr O’Halloran.

“This is clearly a sensitive and disturbing issue although well-intentioned self-proclaimed experts not only risk politicising this incident and increasing the trauma of those people involved, but they also risk a superficial knee-jerk reaction, which is in no one’s interests.”

“As Chairman of last year’s parliamentary inquiry into Child Protection, I can only emphasise the need for all the facts to be on the table first.”

“One of the key findings of my committee’s Child Protection report was that there needs to be ‘Greater consistency of processes and practices (with State and national systems)’. The report also stressed the need to ‘Improve and make more responsive collaboration and communication systems between agencies, including an expansion Inter-Agency Support Teams (IAST). This should lead to improved consistency’.”

“The Greens take the responsibility of looking after the most vulnerable people in our society very seriously. Therefore, on behalf the Greens, I will be writing to Ms Ashford, who is a highly-qualified expert and whose Children’s Commissioner role is designed to protect and advise upon the rights of children in just this sort of circumstance,” said Mr O’Halloran.

Link: Parliamentary Select Committee on Child Protection: Final report 2011: HERE
Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP Greens Spokesperson for Children