Post by Sayf Udeen Ismaeel on Sept 17, 2009 3:03:06 GMT -5
Victorian man 'had four children with daughter'
- Man allegedly raped daughter for 30 years
- Fathered four children to her
- Case bungled, calls for minister to resign
VICTORIAN Community Services Minister Lisa Neville is under huge pressure to resign after revelations of multiple bunglings by the child protection services, including the shocking case of a man accused of fathering children with his daughter.
In a case revealed by the Herald Sun this morning, the man is accused of keeping his daughter a virtual prisoner, raping her almost daily from when she was 11 years old.
The Opposition is expected to call for Ms Neville to quit in Question Time today following a litany of failings by Victoria's Department of Human Services to protect innocent children from falling into the hands of sexual predators.
Child welfare advocates are demanding a full inquiry into the horror sex case, with claims authorities failed to investigate the alleged abuse despite being warned years ago.
All four children were born with health problems in major Melbourne hospitals. None have fathers listed on their birth certificates, raising concerns about why questions were not asked at the time. One of the children died from severe developmental problems soon after birth.
Sources close to the case have compared it to that of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter and fathered seven children with her.
It could be "every bit as bad", a source told the Herald Sun. The woman and her three surviving children are in a safe house, being cared for by authorities.
Earlier today, Ms Neville said the case would be investigated.
"I was extremely appalled to see the allegations,'' she told ABC Radio.
The minister said she had not been told of the case and would make it a priority to look into it.
"They are only allegations and are before the courts at the moment and we need to be very careful about how much detail we go into,'' Ms Neville said.
"I became aware of this from the media today and I don't know what, or if, (there has been) any involvement of the police, the department or other agencies ... over the past 30 years.
"This will be a priority to look into.''
Premier John Brumby said he was shocked by the the case, which he first learnt of when he picked up this morning's Herald Sun. Mr Brumby said crimes against minors that occurred within a family were the worst possible crimes imaginable.
"I will get full advice and full reports from any relevant Government departments that have been involved," he said.
"Any crime that did occur in our state of this type would be met with the full force of the law.
"Speaking more generally if I could, any crime of this type is one that is shocking and is personally repulsive to me and to other Victorians."
He said the alleged crimes occurred under the watch of five or six state governments.
"We can never guarantee that every child at risk is going to get 100 per cent guarantees of safety,'' Mr Brumby said.
"But we can guarantee, I think, and we can aspire to make sure the best possible support is there and available to assist those families.''
Opposition sources believe the huge number of bungling in child services over recent months makes it impossible for Ms Neville to continue.
Mother "unaware"
The Herald Sun yesterday spoke to her mother - the charged man's wife - who claimed to be unaware of any abuse.
A one-time neighbour said she had her suspicions but "it wasn't anybody's business".
The man was charged in February, after his alleged victim approached police - three years after she first alerted officers but said she did not want them to act because she feared for her safety.
It is claimed her father also threatened violence against her mother and siblings.
The man denied raping his daughter, but was charged after DNA tests allegedly showed he was the father of her children. He will appear in court in November.
Crisis talks held on abuse
The Premier held crisis talks last night to fix the child protection system after an Ombudsman's report released yesterday blasted the DHS for neglect and breaches of its duty of care that may have put children's lives at risk.
DHS staff failed to conduct proper background checks on a known sexual predator before allowing a child into his care.
This comes only months after a two-year-old girl was bashed and killed after police and DHS staff failed to intervene despite being told the little girl had black eyes from a previous beating.
www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26084812-421,00.html
