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Friday, Mar 14, 2025

Queensland Child Safety Department Faces Criticism Over Delayed Investigation into Teen's Care

Queensland Child Safety Department Faces Criticism Over Delayed Investigation into Teen's Care

A report reveals a six-month lag in investigating neglect allegations against the caregiver of a non-speaking teenager with disabilities.
Queensland's Department of Child Safety took six months to initiate an investigation into the care of a non-speaking teenager with an intellectual disability, according to a report released by the Child Death Review Board (CDRB) for the 2023-24 period.

The teenager, a 16-year-old diagnosed with low-functioning autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and epilepsy, faced significant concerns regarding alleged neglect and abuse.

The CDRB highlighted that thirteen separate reports regarding the young person's welfare were submitted to the Department of Child Safety in the year preceding his death.

Allegations from medical professionals, disability support workers, school personnel, and community members included emotional and physical abuse, mismanagement of medication, restricted food intake, excessive physical discipline, and inadequate medical responses to health crises such as seizures.

The investigation was reportedly triggered when the teenager’s parent began to relinquish care, raising the question of the department’s responsiveness to repeated warnings.

The report noted that during the investigation a “focus” on the teenager's disability seemed to overshadow child protection concerns, even as National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers expressed that the teenager was unsafe in his parent's care.

Ultimately, Child Safety determined that the teenager was at risk of physical and emotional harm due to neglect and was placed in residential care.

However, he died about four months later; the cause of death remains unspecified in the report.

The CDRB's findings echo issues raised in the Disability Royal Commission concerning cases of children being left vulnerable despite involvement from governmental agencies.

The report underscored a need for the child protection system to continually improve its responses to children with chronic medical conditions and disabilities, particularly regarding risk assessments.

In a separate case reviewed by the CDRB, a two-year-old girl was noted for developmental delays during a sibling’s health appointment but was not referred for necessary medical assessment, leading to her unresponsive state and subsequent death shortly after.

The toddler was deemed safe despite vulnerabilities identified, raising concerns about the department's ability to discern between medical and developmental issues.

The CDRB reviewed the deaths of 70 children in total for the 2023-24 period, with causes including natural causes, transport-related incidents, and suicides.

Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm acknowledged the report's findings, stating that the government is committed to enhancing outcomes for vulnerable children.

The government plans to transition the residential care system to a dual-carer model, along with other initiatives aimed at addressing shortcomings in the child protection framework.

A spokesperson for the Department of Child Safety emphasized the importance of public confidence in the care of vulnerable children and acknowledged challenges faced by investigation teams, acknowledging ongoing demand for child protection services.
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