A leading Logan City child safety advocate says those who know about child abuse and don’t report the offence face the full force of the law.
In September last year it became an offence to fail to protect a child from sexual offences and failing to report a belief of child sexual offences.
The law has the ability to be retrospective, but the person needs to have told someone about the abuse since its introduction.
Bravehearts founder, Ms Hetty Johnston, is adamant we’ve all got a duty of care for children.
“Ït’s really sad that we have to come up with laws that force people to do the right thing. I mean that we know that in children in 97 to 99 percent of cases children don’t lie about being sexually assaulted – they just don’t. And the law is very often incapable of prosecuting those crimes because of the level of evidence that’s required and the absence of evidence because of the nature of the crime perpetrated by a very smart adult against a very innocent and vulnerable and oblivious child most of the time”.
Ms Johnston believes 85 percent of offenders are known, trusted and even loved by the family.
“And the offenders will be telling the child no one will believe (you) if you tell, they’ll kick you out of home and all sorts of stuff these kids are told. They have to believe in their parents, over and above those sorts of messages from the offender. So, it’s really important for parents to make sure they keep a very close honest, open dialogue and relationship with their children so it’s clear it doesn’t matter who it is,, just anybody who makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you feel sad or scared, you must tell us”
And she adds that parents must become aware of any changes in the behaviour of their child or children.
“Sit on the little chair, talk to them in children’s speak and listen with children’s ears, listen to the unspoken and educate yourself about child abuse”.
Ms Johnston reckons you can do that through a great product called “Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure”.
“This is for the really little ones, probably six sees it out or maybe seven if you’re pushing it but it’s a really great way to engage your children in understanding what their personal safety is without the nitty gritty details. It contains very simple non confrontational messages, delivered with song and fun. Kids love it. The program is a Bravehearts program and it’s been seen by over a million children. It’s a treasure and every child deserves to see it”.
