- Crisafulli Government has today released its response to the landmark review into child protection, In Plain Sight.
- To bolster children’s safety, the Queensland Protection Commission will be established as a new dedicated child safeguarding entity, bringing together the Reportable Conduct Scheme, Child Safe Standards and Working with Children Check functions under one roof.
- To proactively identify emerging risks and strengthen information sharing across agencies, a new Intelligence Hub will be created.
- The majority of recommendations from In Plain Sight will be accepted or accepted in-principle.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering nation‑leading reforms to keep kids safe by strengthening child protection in its response to the landmark In Plain Sight review.
A new Queensland Protection Commission will be established to enhance oversight, accountability and coordination to better protect children.
The Queensland Child Protection Commission will bring together key safeguarding functions currently operating across government, including the Reportable Conduct Scheme, Child Safe Standards and Working with Children Check responsibilities, creating a stronger and more coordinated approach to keeping children safe.
A dedicated intelligence hub will also be established within the Commission to improve information sharing, identify emerging risks earlier and support agencies to respond more effectively to concerns about child safety.
The Commission will permanently house experts from the Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Families, Department of Youth Justice and importantly, Queensland Police.
The Crisafulli Government has accepted or accepted in principle the majority of recommendations from the In Plain Sight Review and will work across agencies to deliver the reforms through a coordinated whole-of-government implementation approach.
The reforms address serious failures identified under the former Labor Government, which repeatedly failed to implement a Reportable Conduct Scheme despite recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2017 and multiple commitments to do so.
A 10-month review, commissioned as one of the Crisafulli Government’s first actions after election, was conducted by the Queensland Child Death Review Board and found one of Australia’s worst paedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith, could have been stopped on five separate occasions if Queensland had implemented a Reportable Conduct Scheme following the Royal Commission’s recommendation.
The review identified more than 18 points where Griffith’s offending could have been detected or disrupted earlier, including five missed opportunities where action could have been taken to stop or expose the offender and 13 events that enabled him to remain undetected.
Despite years of warnings and repeated promises, the former Labor Government failed to establish the scheme, allowing critical safeguarding gaps to remain in place until Griffith’s offending was uncovered in 2023.
Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said the reforms marked a significant step forward in strengthening protections for Queensland children.
“These nation-leading reforms are about keeping children safer wherever they are, restoring confidence and strengthening safeguards,” the Attorney-General said.
“Unlike the former Labor Government, which failed to act on key recommendations for years, we are getting on with the job of delivering the reforms needed to better protect Queensland children.
“This is about protecting vulnerable children who cannot protect themselves.
“I want to thank the children, families and survivors who courageously shared their experiences and helped shape this review. I also thank Child Death Review Board Chair Luke Twyford and the Board for their comprehensive work in delivering this important work.”
“We are committed to ensuring Queensland leads the nation in child safeguarding and that children and families receive the protection and support they deserve.”
Child Death Review Board Chairperson Luke Twyford said In Plain Sight showed us that child sexual abuse is not a rare event.
“It is widespread, persistent and often hidden in plain sight. It is a tragic reality that one in four children have experienced, or will experience, child sexual abuse unless something changes,” Mr Twyford said.
“The sexual abuse of children is a national problem, and these reforms will position Queensland as the national leader in child safeguarding, establishing one of the most advanced prevention and threat-detection systems in Australia.
“My review identified clear opportunities to better connect information, strengthen accountability and improve the way risks are identified before children are harmed. No society should wait for abuse to occur before it reacts.
“Today’s announcement is important because it addresses a fundamental weakness identified by the review: that no single organisation had responsibility for bringing together information about emerging threats to children.
“The reforms announced in Queensland today establish clear leadership, stronger accountability and, for the first time, a dedicated safeguarding intelligence capability focused on identifying risks before they escalate.”
The Crisafulli Government’s response to the In Plain Sight report can be found here: https://www.justice.qld.gov.au/initiatives/qg-response-in-plain-sight-review
