A WA parliamentary question seeks information on the welfare of children who left the Swan Valley Nyungah camp after its closure. The Minister's response provides some data on the camp's population but defers a detailed answer regarding abuse allegations.

AnsweredQoN 725Legislative Council
Asked
12 October 2005
Portfolio
Community Development

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the former Swan Valley Nyungah camp. (1) How many people left the camp, including the three given notices to vacate, and how many of these were children under the age of 18 years? (2) Has the Department for Community Development continued to monitor all these children? (3) Have there been any reported allegations of abuse against these children since they left the camp; and, if so - (a) how many reported allegations were made; (b) what are the details of each case, including the nature of the abuse and the alleged perpetrator’s relationship to the child; (c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations? Hon KATE DOUST

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(1) How many people left the camp, including the three given notices to vacate, and how many of these were children under the age of 18 years? (2) Has the Department for Community Development continued to monitor all these children? (3) Have there been any reported allegations of abuse against these children since they left the camp; and, if so - (a) how many reported allegations were made; (b) what are the details of each case, including the nature of the abuse and the alleged perpetrator’s relationship to the child; (c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(2) Has the Department for Community Development continued to monitor all these children? (3) Have there been any reported allegations of abuse against these children since they left the camp; and, if so - (a) how many reported allegations were made; (b) what are the details of each case, including the nature of the abuse and the alleged perpetrator’s relationship to the child; (c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(3) Have there been any reported allegations of abuse against these children since they left the camp; and, if so - (a) how many reported allegations were made; (b) what are the details of each case, including the nature of the abuse and the alleged perpetrator’s relationship to the child; (c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations? Hon KATE DOUST replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(b) what are the details of each case, including the nature of the abuse and the alleged perpetrator’s relationship to the child; (c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations?
(c) how many allegations have been investigated; (d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations?
(d) how many allegations have been proved; and (e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations?
(e) what action has been taken in the case of those proved allegations?
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(1) I was advised at the time of the closure in 2003 that the number of people in the community changed daily due to a very high transient population. However, before the closure, about 20 to 25 people were living there, of whom nearly half were children, mostly of school age, and there were some preschool children and one very young baby. Of the 13 houses at the community, I was advised that seven were occupied by family groups. All had left the Swan Valley Nyungah Community by the time it was closed. (2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(2) The Department for Community Development provided services to these families as required. (3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.
(3) The information requested is of a detailed nature and cannot be compiled in the time frame. The member is asked to put this question on notice.

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