Why not rally for the Safety of Indigenous children?

Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, said the organisers of tomorrow’s day of action would be better off rallying for the protection of children.

“It would be great to see the organisers rallying people to the cause of protecting children,” Mr Brough said.

“They should consider that just in the past few weeks since the NT emergency response was announced, we have seen:

• Charges laid against 11 people at Halls Creek in WA for a total of 27 child sex offences, involving victims aged between 11 and 14, including a 13 year old girl who is 22 weeks pregnant and suffering a sexually transmitted disease.
• An indication from WA Police that further arrests and charges are likely.
• The bashing death of a three month old baby in the Northern Territory.
• The conviction in the Supreme Court of South Australia of a man who traded petrol for sex with three underage girls in that state’s far north.

“These events are on top of the charges laid against more than a dozen people in Kulumburu in WA for child sex offences.

“The Government’s response to the Little Children Are Sacred Report in the NT is all about protecting children.

“The rally organisers would be better served motivating others to support this cause.”