Juvenile Justice Minister Tony Kelly must explain how and why large numbers of his trusted staff have been using Government email to distribute and view pornography, the Shadow Minister for Juvenile Justice Catherine Cusack said today.
"The formal investigation of at least 10 Juvenile Justice Officers entrusted with custody and rehabilitation of child offenders is extremely serious. It strikes at the integrity of the justice system," Ms Cusack said.
"We need confirmation from the Minister that he understands the gravity of the situation and what measures he has taken to guarantee the safety and security of his organisation and the children for whom he has responsibility," she said.
ReplyDelete"Minister Kelly needs to tell us who is investigating the porn emails, the nature of the material and the number of staff involved. Given the large scale of the scandal, he must make public the scope and terms of reference of the inquiry.
"Mr Kelly must explain why staff targeted for interviews have been allowed to take sick leave. Is this yet another example of the system being rorted by management and staff in Juvenile Justice?
"The State Opposition has information that the use of Juvenile Justice email to distribute pornography has been rife for some time.
"Mr Kelly, please tell us why such an extensive abuse of trust has been allowed to continue undetected over a long period of time?
"The Minister must act today to assure the public that Officers accused of depraved, illegal and unprofessional conduct are not working with children.
"Staff in the Department are supposed to be guardians of justice, who set standards for children aged under 18. The large scale abuse of trust suggests the Department's ethical problems are serious and endemic.
"Minister Kelly has a lot of explaining to do if he is to restore confidence in this crucial agency," Ms Cusack said.