Commission of Inquiry - release of final report (26 Sep 2023)

Dear colleagues,

This morning the long-awaited Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings’ Final Report has been tabled.

It is a confronting and distressing report, and once again, I acknowledge all survivors of child sexual abuse who shared their personal experiences through the Commission of Inquiry, and to all those, including state servants, who spoke out on behalf of others to ensure their voices were heard: we thank you for your strength and courage.

As our Premier said, “Victim-survivors have been abused by the very people who were supposed to care for them, and they were failed by the system that is meant to protect them. It is time for change; time to reflect on some of the most painful moments in our State’s history; and time to build a culture in our institutions that will ensure it is not repeated.”

This is a significant point in time  for the State Service: we all must commit to make the changes necessary for  safeguarding the children and young people we have responsibility for now and for generations to come.

The Report contains 191 recommendations across 71 topics.  These recommendations range from changes in legislation to improving our skills and knowledge; and changing the way we do things to keep children safe. The Government has committed to accepting all of them, and an Implementation Plan detailing how the Government will address these will be released in December 2023.

The Report is now available on the Commission’s website and you can also find it at www.keepingchildrensafe.tas.gov.au.  The Keeping Children Safe website has been updated and will also have a link to a short video which will help guide you through the structure of the report, and if you are intending to read it, guide you to the parts of the report you need without having to read sections that are not relevant to the information you are looking for.

I would also like to reiterate the message that state servants impacted by the report are not alone, and that there is support available. This includes your Agency EAP services, the support networks in place through the Commission or Keeping Children Safe websites or, if you haven’t already seen it you may wish to watch Professor Brett McDermott’s webinar about the importance of looking after yourself.

Should you have any questions please email them to keepingchildrensafe@dpac.tas.gov.au

Best wishes

Jenny Gale
Head of the State Service
Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet
26 Sep 2023