MEDIA RELEASE

 

NICK XENOPHON M.L.C.

INDEPENDENT NO POKIES MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL  

2nd June 2004

 

CLOSING CHILD ABUSE LOOPHOLE A BIG STEP IN PROTECTING KIDS

No Pokies MLC Nick Xenophon has welcomed the announcement made this afternoon by the Government that it will urgently introduce legislation to ensure that priests and church workers are covered by mandatory reporting laws for child abuse.

Last September Mr. Xenophon introduced legislation in Parliament to amend mandatory reporting laws to close the loophole that excluded priests and church workers.  The Bill was triggered in part by the Layton Report on child protection - handed down on 26 March 2003 – which recommended similar changes.  (The main difference with the Layton Report is that the Bill did not provide an exemption for the confessional – the Government announcement today follows the Layton report).

“This is great news – the Government has picked up on the Bill I introduced into  Parliament last September – It closes a massive loophole in the law and it means for the first time priests and church workers must report instances of child abuse to the authorities, or face a $10,000 fine.  That will make a big difference in improving the level of protection and safeguards for South Australian kids.  I guess the Government will have to explain to South Australians why it didn’t adopt the Layton recommendations months ago - particularly since  the Reverends Don Owers and Andrew King spoke out on widespread abuse within the Anglican Church at a media conference on 22 May 2003”.

 

Written and authorised by Nick Xenophon, 653 Lower North East Road, Paradise, SA 5075