Alecomm Exposé of the 2014 Inquiry into Children in Out of Home Care
- Details
- Category: Child protection statistics
- Created: Friday, 18 November 2016 13:53
- Written by Compiled by the lovely Rachelle Ferrier
Conduct of child protection workers in the care courts:
- Only 25% of cases reported that caseworkers that were subpoenaed for cross-examination actually showed up to comply with the court order.
- 48% reported that caseworkers lied under oath committing perjury.
- Only 2% of cases reported that the caseworkers evidence was based on fact, while 69% reported the caseworkers evidence was based on hearsay.
- 48% reported that caseworkers omitted relevant facts that would have portrayed parents in a more positive light.
- 62% stated the court material contained uncorroborated stories about them.
- Only 11% reported that the court material was objective, while 63% reported it was subjective in order to demean and belittle them as parents.
- Only 5 cases reported that caseworkers told the truth and wrote truthful affidavits.
- In 29% of cases the caseworker was not prepared to proceed in court on the day.
- 57% reported the caseworker or their legal representative requested adjournments.
- Only 13% stated that court reports were received in the court ordered timeframes, and in only 2 cases were the children allowed by caseworkers to attend the court.
- 62% of cases reported that caseworkers were smug and pleased with themselves when they won the case and got an order to keep their children.
- 22% reported that caseworkers hugged each other when they won, and 14% said they Hi-fived each other.
For a parent to lose the return of their child to their care in court in a system so unjust is a devastating experience, and for caseworkers to behave in such an insensitive manner exacerbates the pain, grief and loss suffered by children and their families.
