Quotes below can be attributed to Act for Kids CEO Dr Katrina Lines:
This is a horrific and disturbing reminder that there are people in the community who will unfortunately seek to harm children.
This will be an extremely difficult time for the many people impacted by his vile crimes, and our thoughts remain with the children, their families, former colleagues and the team of investigators who worked tirelessly on this case.
Child sexual abuse is a horrific form of abuse, which can have detrimental lifelong impacts on the victim and their family, who often aren’t aware that their child was at-risk of harm or had experienced any abuse at all.
However, it is incredibly important to acknowledge that this does not and should not tarnish the incredible work of the majority childcare workers who work really hard every day to care for children and provide the tools they need to thrive.
Protecting children is everybody’s business and we all play a role in protecting kids and making sure that they feel safe.
Act for Kids will continue to raise awareness of ways to identify the signs of child abuse, including emotional, behavioural, and physical changes.
Some signs can be subtle or some children will not show any signs at all, which is why any concerns should be reported to police – no matter how trivial or small it may seem.
For more information on how to identify abuse and neglect, visit here.
Anyone who needs support, please call Lifeline 13 11 14.
-ENDS-
For media inquiries, please contact Melanie Whiting 0427 794 666 melanie.whiting@actforkids.com.au