Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The minister is aware of allegations of child rape by truck drivers of Aboriginal girls as young as eight years in the Moree and Bogabilla areas, aired on the ABC’s Lateline program dated 13 March 2008. Is the minister aware that the local state MP, Kevin Humphries, has said that he has known about the issue for over a year, as have assistant commissioner for police Stephen Bradshaw and others in the community? Assistant Commissioner Bradshaw said on the Lateline program:

We have significant information in relation to it. But the problem has always been … the under-reporting and the reluctance of victims and witnesses to give us information that can result in evidence.

Given that Aboriginal people are reluctant to come forward to the police and that the New South Wales government appears reluctant to follow up on these reports, will the Commonwealth undertake an inquiry into these allegations of child abuse to give the opportunity for community members to come forward and report their knowledge of these events?

See this speech in context