Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes with great distress that:

(a) there were 18,925 victim-survivors of child sexual assault reported in Australia in 2021;

(b) this accounts for almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of reported victim-survivors of all ages that year; and

(c) 67 per cent of sexual assaults occurred at residential locations;

(2) applauds the work of the former Government to implement mandatory minimum sentencing and other measures for child sex offenders through the passing of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019; and

(3) calls on the Government to implement, in conjunction with state and territory governments, a National Child Sex Offender Register to be a single point of truth to make public the identities, offences and postcodes of convicted child sex offenders for the purpose of keeping Australian children safe.

Some of the most disgusting, heinous crimes are committed against our children. Young boys and girls, who are growing up and who have their whole lives ahead of them, are innocent victims of crimes that rob them of their innocence. Child sex offenders are the lowest of the low. They are vile scum. They are putrid. They are despicable. They deserve nothing more than to be removed from our society. They should be stripped of the privileges and freedoms that law-abiding citizens of Australia enjoy and they should be kept as far away from our children as possible.

While some of us might like to see child sex offenders locked up and the key thrown away, we know that some are released back into our community. In some states they live largely anonymously among us. Sometimes they're monitored, but no-one can be watched 24/7. That's why we and our communities deserve to have the information we need to be able to stay aware—not to be vigilantes but to be vigilant. That is why we need to have a national child sex offender register. This register must be a single point of truth—no matter what the state or territory—that makes public the identity, offences and postcodes of convicted child sex offenders to keep our kids safe.

In Townsville we have a large number of child sex offenders living in our community. It was revealed in 2020 that 180 of them live at large across the Townsville police district—a number that is constantly on the increase. At the same time it was revealed that there were only 22 police officers across Queensland with the task of monitoring 3,000 offenders.

We can't afford to let more innocent children fall victim to these predators. Too many of these offenders get out of jail and reoffend, which is why we need to know where they are. You have to have a sign on your fence if you have a dangerous dog, but these people who've snatched the innocence away from young children get to walk freely among the community.

In this age of the internet, we have too many stories of mothers on dating apps meeting men who are interested not in them but in getting to their children. A recent Australian Institute of Criminology report found that more than one in 10 on these apps had received a request to facilitate child sexual exploitation. That is absolutely disgusting. Another study by the AIC found that recidivist child sexual assault offenders comprise a small group of motivated persistent offenders who are willing to adapt their offending to target new and different victims in different contexts. To that end, we need to apply situational prevention strategies which aim to restrict the opportunity to effect.

There are other statistics mentioned in this motion before us today which demonstrate how tragic the situation has become. There were 18,925 victim-survivors of child sexual assault reported in 2021. This is almost two-thirds of reported victim-survivors of all ages that year. That means the majority of victims of sexual assault in our communities are children.

A national child sex offender register is not a new idea. This is something the former coalition government did a lot of work on. In fact, it was the coalition that implemented mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders. We created the world's first eSafety Commissioner to tackle child exploitation online and we launched the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, a 10-year whole-of-nation framework targeting child sex abuse in all settings, with the funding to implement it. We also began the important work to implement a register for the Council of Attorneys-General and the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management. This work must be progressed and followed through, and I urge the government to take it up.

We must always do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. A child sex offender register is not just something we should do; it is something we must do for the safety of our children.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

PERRETT () (): Discussions about child sexual abuse and the perpetrators are always emotive. Only the survivors of child sexual abuse can truly understand the lifelong damage and the burden they carry from such cruel, evil, cold-hearted events. You only have to read some of the testimony from the royal commission into child sexual abuse detailing the horrors inflicted on them and how that can affect people for the rest of their lives—sometimes lives that end all too early. This is why this is such an emotive issue.

The natural inclination of civilised society is to protect children. They are our hope distilled. If society fails to protect them, we feel we have failed them as a society. I hope this urge to protect is what has motivated the member for Herbert, who has submitted this motion, rather than any political opportunism. However, when we look clinically at the facts, it's hard to see how a publicly available national child sex offender register would contribute to keeping our children safe. Just having a quick look through some of the data from the Australian Institute of Criminology outlines some of the facts around child sexual assault that weren't mentioned in his introduction.

The Personal Safety Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlighted that only 11.1 per cent of abusers were strangers—that is, people not known to the child. Most monsters are family monsters. Sadly, the highest percentage of perpetrators are male relatives. It showed almost 45 per cent of victims were abused by a male relative—an uncle, a brother, a father or a stepfather—and around 40 per cent of abusers were a male family friend or acquaintance of the family. These abusers were not just known to the child but were responsible for the care and protection of these children.

It was only last sitting that I spoke about Chris, my constituent who was abused by his school counsellor at Brisbane boys grammar—a person who was supposed to be caring for him, not some stranger on the street. If the member for Herbert or anyone points out how a publicly available register would have helped people like Chris, then I could support it. But we know the best place for this information about paedophiles and perpetrators is for it to be held by law enforcement and the courts. The statistics show that the vast majority of offenders are those who have not previously been identified or convicted of these crimes. As I mentioned before, they will be a male family member or close family friend who's probably known the child since birth. So strangers lurking in the shadows aren't the major perpetrators of child abuse. They're more likely to be sharing the same roof or the same meal with the child.

Data shows that the recidivism rates of those who have been convicted of child sexual assault are actually relatively low when they're monitored by law enforcement and restrictions are placed upon them by the courts. The member for Herbert's plan would drive such people underground. At the moment, they must report where they live. They must report who lives in their household, what internet accounts they have, what they do for a living—all that can be investigated by the police. If they don't provide the information, they can return to prison for a breach. The member for Herbert's ill-thought-out plan would actually drive such perpetrators underground. There is absolutely no data to support the notion that vigilantism makes children safer, despite what is claimed by people on the airwaves.

What will make our kids safer is if people who are told or are aware of abuse happening don't move these people on to another parish or another school or another church or another mosque so they can then abuse other children. We need to educate children from a young age about safe and respectful relationships. I mean a very young age, and in an age-appropriate way. We should talk to children about consent and about bodily autonomy. A phrase such as 'Come and give me a kiss,' which I heard as a kid, which children hear from their older relatives, should be considered carefully. What are we telling the child who doesn't wish to give that person the hug or the kiss? What should they do accordingly?

Lastly, we must believe children when they tell us about what happened. Too often in the past, as we heard again and again during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, children weren't believed. Adults either didn't believe them or refused to deal with it. Let us never make that mistake again. But, also, let us not delude ourselves into thinking that a flashing warning sign placed publicly out the front of every paedophile's home will make us safe from the boogiemen designed by the Liberal and National parties. Life is a little bit more complicated, more fraught, more nuanced. Let's leave the vigilante work to the 1890s. Let's leave the public lynchings to the 1800s.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation are Australia's great and silent shame. The harm inflicted upon our kids at home, at school, in the community and, importantly, online often goes unreported. Bravehearts estimates that eight per cent of boys and one in five girls are sexual abuse survivors in this country. Just think about those stats again, in particular for young girls: one in five. These are vulnerable, dependent, innocent children.

I want to acknowledge the work of the AFP and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, launched by the coalition government. Since its inception in 2018, the ACCCE, as it is commonly referred to, has supported the AFP to rescue 517 children from harm. Tragically, with nearly 37,000 reports of online child abuse in 2021-22, the problem is only getting worse. In the past four years, the number of reports received by the ACCCE has more than doubled.

The scourge of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation is heinous and hidden. It requires a whole-of-nation response. I want to pay tribute to the bold organisations in my electorate of Fisher doing vital work in this space. Rachel Downie and her team at Stymie are employing digital technology to support schools in stamping out bullying and child abuse. Conrad and his team at IFYS Project Paradigm are leading the way when it comes to countering child sexual exploitation. Annie, Tracey, Jeanette and the team at No More Fake Smiles are supporting victims-survivors in their fight for justice and bringing light to the issue. Paul Mergard and his team at Destiny Rescue are working across the world to free people, especially children, trapped in sexual slavery.

On that note, I was watching a television program the other day that showed that Australian men are the second greatest cohort of people anywhere in the world—second only to the United States—that go to Asia, in particular, to sexually exploit children. This is an unbelievable blight on this nation. Australian men, the second-worst recidivists, are travelling to Asia, in particular, to sexually exploit children. That is just unbelievable. I want to commend the now opposition leader, who, when he was in the relevant portfolio, put in place the ability to block some of these individuals if we suspect that they are travelling overseas to commit these sorts of heinous crimes.

We know that there are many instances—hundreds of thousands of incidents—where children are exploited online for the sexual gratification of, let's face it, men. I can't remember the last time I heard a story of a woman—well, I can think of one, but I won't go there. It is absolutely, overwhelmingly men that are the perpetrators. This is not beating up on men, but we, men of good character, have got to call this out. If we don't, who will?

I want to send a very big shout-out also to Bruce and Denise Morcombe of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. My eldest daughter went to school with Daniel Morcombe. We were in the same area in Palmwoods. I vividly remember the day when Daniel was taken. I want to thank Bruce and Denise for their absolutely tireless work in protecting young children from sexual exploitation.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Child abuse is an abhorrent and a pervasive crime in Australia. I think it's important that we remember that it is, indeed, a crime. The impact on child sexual abuse survivors, over their lifetime, can be really extreme—as I say, lifelong, and debilitating. The effects include post-traumatic stress, the inability to form lasting relationships, identity difficulties, parenting difficulties, alcohol and substance abuse, depression, anxiety and suicide ideation, just to name some.

Sadly, child sexual abuse is not a new issue; it's been around a long time. We've had an entire royal commission into the types of sexual abuse that occurred in institutions that should have been our most trusted, but which failed, on every level, those children in their care. I'm from Newcastle, and we have an entire volume, and more, from the royal commission, attached to the sorts of horrific abuse that took place in those institutions over decades.

But this is not something of the past, either. It's an issue that, sadly and shockingly, seems to be seeing some increase in the Australian community. According to the ABS, more than one million women have experienced sexual abuse by the age of 15. Just let that sink in for a moment. Of those one million women who had experienced sexual abuse by the age of 15, 90 per cent knew the perpetrator. And 55 per cent of those perpetrators were relatives. So let's not assume that home is a safe place for everyone. With those stats in mind, I would say to the member for Herbert, who moved this motion, that this is no time to be self-congratulatory about the performance of the previous government. Any policy changes must be supported by robust evidence and prevent unintended risks to victims, survivors and the wider community.

The Albanese Labor government is deeply committed to protecting children from sexual abuse in all settings and to ensure criminal justice responses adequately reflect the profound harm that is caused to victims, survivors and communities. This includes working with all Australian jurisdictions under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, a plan that spans from 2021 through to 2030, in order to combat all forms of child sexual abuse in all settings. The national strategy is underpinned by an investment from the Australian government of more than $160 million over four years in offender prevention and intervention measures—a critical part of addressing this issue. We've also launched a National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children and committed $30 million in the 2022-23 budget to support this national framework. Safe and Supported is an ambitious 10-year strategy, focused on making significant and sustained progress in reducing the rates of child abuse and neglect, and its profound intergenerational impacts. The first action plan from 2023 to 2026 and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander first action plan for the same period put the voices of children right at the centre of policymaking, and that's where they should be. The action plan sets out how governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and the non-government sector must work together to help children, young people and families in need of support.

All governments agree that all children and young people in Australia have the right to grow up in safe, connected and supported environments in their families, communities and cultures. Decisions about child safety, whether through the courts, government or the community sector should always be evidence based and in the best interests of the child. That has to be the defining principle for lawmaking and decision-making in this country. To be very clear, this government will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children in any form. Our children deserve our protection and support, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect children here and overseas from exploitation and abuse.

Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of this excellent motion, moved by my good friend the member for Herbert. It should be the first job of any Australian government to protect its citizens, and paramount in that objective needs to be the protection of our most vulnerable citizens, particularly our nation's children. It is an unfortunate fact that we live in a society where our children are under threat from criminals who seek to do them harm. As the motion states, there were a staggering 18,925 victims-survivors of child sexual assault reported in Australia in 2021. Federal and state governments have been engaged for many decades in the fight to bring these predators to justice and in undertaking other initiatives aimed at minimising this threat. However, when we are faced with these confronting statistics, and in recognising that behind every number is an innocent young life that has been horrendously violated, we must ask an important question: what else can we do to empower Australians with the information that they need to protect their families?

The member for Fisher mentioned the horrific case of Daniel Morcombe, and the parents of Daniel Morcombe know this nightmare all too well. They have long campaigned for a national register for sex offenders to be established, to provide the community with greater protection against these heinous offenders. We aren't suggesting that a national register will prevent all offending. A lot of the previous speakers have mentioned that most of the offending that takes place in Australia is done by individuals who are known to the victim. But it will give families some information on known local offenders that could be utilised to minimise risk. It will give schools, community groups and sporting organisations the information that they need to better ensure the safety of the children entrusted to their care. By having the identities, offences and postcodes of convicted child sex offenders publicly available, parents could determine if anyone who interacts with their child is a convicted offender and so make informed decisions on their children's movements and have a heightened vigilance as to the known threats that may be present in their daily lives and routines. As the father of young children, I see this as a concept that has considerable merit, and I know that a vast, vast majority of the Redlands community that I represent in this building share my enthusiasm for it. Anything that can be done to help shine a light on those who seek to dwell in the shadows is worthy of strong consideration from government.

Where it related to child sex offences committed against federal law, the former coalition government made the tough calls. The coalition implemented mandatory minimum sentencing and other measures for child sex offenders, through the passing of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill, back in 2019. The motion rightfully acknowledges this as a move worthy of the House's praise. In 2021, the coalition also launched the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, a 10-year, whole-of-nation, first-of-its-kind framework which targets sexual abuse. This included an initial $307 million investment to implement that strategy. The first phase of the strategy saw funding for the first national action plan, which included important initiatives, such as $18 million to implement the National Victim Identification Framework, $22.3 million to deliver national awareness-raising campaigns and $24 million to strengthen the Commonwealth's capacity to prosecute child sexual abuse offenders. It was the now opposition leader who established the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, which has made a real difference, with almost 700 arrests and more than 6,000 charges laid since 2018.

This motion calls on the federal government to take this good work to the next level. It calls on the government to implement, in conjunction with state and territory governments, a national child sex-offender register. The federal coalition committed $8 million in 2019 to advance a national register but encountered strong opposition from the states and territories. To establish a national register, of course, the Commonwealth needs law and policy reforms from all jurisdictions. I should give a shout out to Western Australia, which is the only jurisdiction where people can apply to access information on their child sex offender register. If a national register could save one child from being offended against, I think it's something worthy of consideration.

Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for Herbert for moving this motion today. Every day, in my role as Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, I'm presented with hard facts and realities about suicide in Australia. The strongest point is this. Over the last two decades, child abuse and neglect have consistently been the leading risk factors contributing to the years of healthy life lost due to suicide and self-inflicted injuries—more than mental ill-health; more than relationship breakdown; more than a lack of housing, a lack of employment or a lack of financial security. The highest contributors to years of healthy life lost are child abuse and neglect. They are associated with 24 per cent of the years of healthy life lost in males and 33 per cent of the years of healthy life lost in females. That's absolutely unacceptable.

We also know that 1.4 million Australians—or about one in every dozen—have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Given the sensitivities, we are cognisant that that figure is likely far higher.

Child sexual abuse is confronting. It is also devastating for victims-survivors and those who are vicariously impacted: parents, teachers, siblings and friends. As such, our response must be robust. It must be evidence based.

Firstly, we are addressing childhood sexual abuse at the source, by stopping abuse before it happens. This work is being led by the Attorney-General's Department, through the National Office for Child Safety. The work of the office is underpinned by the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, a first-of-its-kind, whole-of-nation policy approach that was created in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that the member for Newcastle has just spoken of.

Secondly, we are determined to support victims-survivors. In January we brought together Australia's leading advocates for mental health and suicide prevention. We also brought to that same group those with lived and living experience of mental ill health. Their voice has for too long been missing from this conversation. We often talk about person-centred care while not properly including those with lived and living experience. We're changing that.

The Albanese government is investing $8.5 million to support those with lived experience of mental health to shape the policies and programs that affect them. We're establishing two independent national mental health lived experience peak bodies—one representing consumers and the other representing carers, families and kin. This investment puts the voices of people with lived and living experience of mental ill health and suicide at the centre of decision-making as we work together to create a fairer, improved system that meets the needs of all Australians, young and old, wherever they live.

These bodies will also inform how we support victims of child sexual abuse, because we will only see real change when we put the voices of those who are impacted at the centre and when we amplify the voices of those with lived and living experience in decision-making and leadership. It will make robust sexual abuse policy, and robust policy will inform effective care for those in distress. It will make significant progress in suicide prevention by addressing the drivers of distress and reducing the likelihood that individuals experience suicidal ideation.

It is not just good suicide prevention policy. It will significantly reduce costs to and pressure on and will build capacity in our health care, particularly our mental health care system. This conversation is difficult and confronting, but it must be had. I look forward to continuing to progress this work and to work with genuine cooperation with all members of parliament and senators while keeping focus on who this work is for—our young people.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.