South Australia’s child protection system has been described as ‘institutionally racist’ and ‘abhorrent’ in a report by the states Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner.
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00:00Well, this damning assessment of South Australia's child protection system by the State's Commissioner
00:06for Aboriginal Children and Young People was tabled in Parliament yesterday.
00:10The Commissioner, April Lorry, has spent almost two years investigating the removal of Aboriginal
00:15children from their families and has now described the child protection system as institutionally
00:20racist.
00:21Now, this report has found that in a single calendar year, one in two South Australian
00:25Aboriginal children are reported at least once to child protection authorities.
00:30Aboriginal children make up about 5% of all children in South Australia, but this report
00:34has found that they represent more than a third of all children in state care, and Ms
00:39Lorry says that some First Nations babies are being removed just hours after birth.
00:43Now, in this report, she says that the State is unnecessarily removing a disproportionate
00:49and growing number of Aboriginal children from their families and has warned that the
00:53number of children being removed are reaching levels similar to the stolen generations.
00:58Now, Ms Lorry has made 32 recommendations to the State Government.
01:03She spoke on ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning and said the one thing she thinks
01:08the State Government needs to take urgent action on, let's take a listen.
01:13To ensure that we have the primacy of child's best interests and to embed the full Aboriginal
01:19and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle so that it is the paramount approach
01:25to the way decisions are made for Aboriginal children taking into account their best interests
01:31on the basis of their cultural needs and ensuring that our children end up in care with family,
01:38being connected to culture and living in their community.
01:42Now, South Australia, along with all other jurisdictions, has previously agreed to implement
01:48that Child Placement Principle.
01:50The State's Child Protection Minister, Katrine Hildeyard, says the State Government will
01:53now take time to consider the report's recommendations and will respond accordingly.