Hello Russia, China, Canada...but no Panama today...so sad...and Happy Birthday USof A...and thankyou for notifications, feedback, etc...excuse my lack of 'Netiquette' if I do not specifically respond...but while I've got you, just a thought...how many countries' names end with an 'a'...South Africa, Ghana, Austria, Kenya, Zambia, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina...sounds like Edward Snowden's shopping list....(bazinga...and what about words that end with 'Nick'?-Ed)...oh yeah...
Manic, cynic, demonic, satanic, moronic, chronic, etc...and the names you can make from Nicholas Fletcher, eg, Tinbum Letcher...ahhh, it's all good clean fun...unlike the Dobelle Inquiry...that's just a farcical filling keeping layers of multiple cover-ups apart in an enormous Corruption Sandwich.
As I started to say yesterday before I was so rudely interrupted by me walking out on my own blog...(how's that done then?-Ed)...the Debelle Inquiry has taken over six months and $1million to come up with an official report about the bleedin' obvious and identify that which is already known...and the direct similarities between this 'Report' and the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up are legion and un-deniable.
The Debelle Inquiry stemmed from the December 2010 jailing of an After School Care Director for raping an 8 year old child in his care, and the subsequent cover-up of that jailing by the Education Dept, meaning that other abuses that he committed against other children were also covered-up, and the parents and/or School Council were directly threatened by Education Department officials to keep the matter 'confidential' and not tell other parents...and then the Council/parents get blamed for this cover-up, etc...check it out on the web and my previous posts.
And one of those officials is former Mount Gambier High School Principal, Gary Costello. I refer to previous posts re Gary Costello's involvement in both the St Martins Issue and this current Issue.
The Debelle Inquiry has simply 'officially' identified that which was already known, and only criticised those officials whom were already known to be involved and should probaly be jailed, including Premier Jay Weatheill's personal staffers, but falls well short of actually resolving anything.
Jay Weatherill has already defended his staffers Simon Blewett and Jadynne Harvey (who both had knowledge of the specific incident that triggered the Debelle Inquiry) and literally everyone else involved, particularly MP Grace Portolesi...but has criticised and blamed the Education Department as being completely incompetent...but still nobody held to account.
And then announcements about how the Education Dept is going to do a thorough 'Review' and blah, blah, blah...another 'Review'...another 'Inquiry'...it's all 'unfortunate but understandable mistakes and systemic failures' and 'we'll sort it all out'...I do not apologise for being absolutely cynical about this latest 'Review'.
And the Weatherill state government has announced sweeping new changes and new legislation, eg, GPS tracking (by SAPol) of convicted child abusers who are on parole, etc...(maybe they could use those four spy drones they're getting-Ed)... tightening Mandatory Notification statutes, tougher Police checks and other screening on people seeking to work with children, and similar registration/screening for people driving hire cars and taxis, etc.
Thankfully, at least one Adelaide Child Abuse academic (apologies, did not catch her name) has been on the ABC Local Radio this morning making the very specific and very accurate observation that you can tighten up laws that deal with screening post conviction, but that does not address the fact that many people evade appropriate policing and prosecution, etc, in the first instance, for many reasons, and therefore many offenders do not have any official histories of child abuse...(with SAPol, the Teachers Registration Board, etc)
She identified the need for a thorough review of effectively the entire Child Protection System 'from the bottom up'.
I refer to teacher Glyn Dorling and the St Martins Issue, and the December 2011 dropping of charges against a bus driver in Adelaide, as obvious examples of cases where the 'alleged' offender has no official history of child abuse...even after being exposed and/or caught...
Her comments did not however include that other screaming reality...if this is what can go on in the Public School system, with all it's alleged oversight and supposed regulation and bloated bureaucracy and alleged accountability, etc, then what can happen in the totally un-accountable realm of the Private School?
The St Martins Lutheran School disaster is exactly what can happen.
And if that can happen...if a 50 year old male teacher can abuse an entire class of 7 year olds, and simply walk away with a massive pay-out from the Lutherans, and families spend the next decade trying to get someone, anyone, to actually do something about it...if that can happen...what else?
The last 24-48 hours has been an avalanche of accusations aimed at, and/or denials from, current
Education Minister Jennifer Rankine across numerous issues...her involvement with various people, eg, her husband Michael Atkinson (previous posts re St Martins and the Crown Solicitor, etc), her creating a job for her mate, and most critically, her abject failure to act when parents approached her in early May 2013 about a man on bail for Child Abuse charges who was working in a private gym.
Jennifer Rankine either refused or failed to help, so parents went to Liberal Education spokesperson David Pisoni, who advised they photograph the person, and supply those photos to SAPol...and the parents did exactly that...photos of him touching a child, handed to SAPol...and the man was immediately re-arrested for breaching bail conditions...
And Jay Weatherill is on the ABC Radio (literally right now) defending her...Ms Rankine apparently allegedly notified the 'Inter Agency Task Force', so the Deputy Police Commissioner allegedly knew...Jennifer Rankine allegedly did everything right...and then more promises about more and/or tighter legislation, prefaced with the statement that they (Labor/politicians) can only do so much.
And all of this is exactly what we parents have been through, been deliberately put through, with the St Martins Issue, for over a decade. We have been screaming, for over a decade, for an appropriate addressing of these multiple and massive failings in the entire 'Child Protection System'.
And we put it all in writing, to all the Authorities, Ministers, the Lutherans, etc, over and over again...and nothing but unfulfilled promises, outright lies, and inevitably attacks on us parents, and particularly me, as being the only genuine problem.
It is no way inappropriate or an exaggeration to suggest that had we been listened to, and our concerns addressed, that these latest abuses would not have taken place.
I must acknowledge that Premier Weatherill's office has contacted me (Tuesday 2nd July 2013) re my statements on ABC Local Radio Late Afternoon program on Monday 1st July (previous post), but I am yet to speak directly with anyone...(is this where you say 'I'll keep you posted, hahaha'-Ed)...nice impersonation, and yes...
Tomorrow: City Council Passes Budget
A hilarious political Review about the Rolling Pantomime of Public Consultation and the Mt Gambier Council's 2013/14 Budget...presented by Business as Usual Productions, and proudly supported by your local vested interests...
And then Debelle Ends Part IV: Where's Mike Rann and Rory McEwen?
You didn't think I'd forgotten you did you Rory?...you are responsible for this horror and you will be held to account...hearing all about your great work with the latest Gravy Train, the 'Fork and Cork Festival'...see you there champ, and Christian Cuddles all round...
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers...
No comments:
Post a Comment