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| Little Children are Sacred report | |
|---|---|
| Name | Little Children are Sacred report |
| Author | Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse |
| Date | 2007 |
| Jurisdiction | Northern Territory |
| Subject | Child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities |
Little Children are Sacred report The report was a 2007 inquiry into child sexual abuse in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities led by magistrate Patricia Anderson and academic Ruth Galanter that influenced debates across Australia, involving federal entities such as the Howard Government and the Rudd Government, and prompting actions by state leaders including John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, and Julie Bishop. The document intersected with public policy actors like the Australian Human Rights Commission, legal institutions such as the High Court of Australia, and Indigenous organizations including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and the Lowitja Institute.
The context included prior inquiries like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and reports from institutions such as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and health studies by the Menzies School of Health Research and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, while political responses involved cabinets of John Howard and premiers such as Denis Burke and Paul Henderson. Historical issues linked to colonization narratives involving explorers like James Cook and policies from the Stolen Generations era informed debates alongside community leaders from the Yolngu and Tiwi Islands, scholars at Australian National University and University of Sydney, and advocacy groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
The Board of Inquiry was commissioned by the Northern Territory Government under Chief Minister Marty Reid's successor administrations and chaired by Patricia Anderson, with members drawn from legal bodies like the Law Society of the Northern Territory and academic centres such as the University of Melbourne and the Lowitja Institute. The inquiry undertook fieldwork in communities across the Top End, coordinating with police forces including the Northern Territory Police and welfare services like Centrecare and Save the Children Australia, and interfaced with Commonwealth agencies such as the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Australian Institute of Criminology.
The report documented systemic failures comparable in public attention to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, noting risks identified by health services like Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and child protection bodies such as FaHCSIA, and citing demographic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and epidemiology work by the Kirby Institute. It highlighted intersections with legal issues addressed in decisions of the High Court of Australia and state courts, and drew on comparative research from institutions like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Recommendations addressed policing models influenced by reports from the Australian Institute of Criminology and called for partnerships with Indigenous bodies including ATSIC-era structures, health services like Menzies School of Health Research, and education providers associated with the Northern Territory University and Charles Darwin University. The board advised legislative reforms to align with instruments like the Convention on the Rights of the Child and administrative changes involving agencies such as the Department of Health and Ageing and the Attorney-General's Department.
The report precipitated national action comparable in scale to responses following the Bringing Them Home report, drawing commentary from prime ministers including John Howard and Kevin Rudd, opposition leaders like Tony Abbott, and media outlets such as The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and broadcasters like Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The federal response included the controversial Northern Territory National Emergency Response and measures debated in the Australian Parliament, prompting engagement from non-governmental organizations like Reconciliation Australia and legal advocacy groups such as the Human Rights Law Centre.
Implementation involved collaborative programs with Indigenous councils such as Tiwi Land Council and service providers like Anglicare and Aboriginal Legal Service, and funding mechanisms tied to Commonwealth portfolios overseen by ministers including Jenny Macklin and Mal Brough. The policy legacy affected welfare delivery models studied by researchers at Griffith University and Deakin University and influenced subsequent inquiries including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody follow-up discussions and later policy reviews within the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
Critics compared the response to interventions like the Northern Territory Intervention and cited tensions noted by advocacy organizations such as Friends of the Earth and scholars from University of Western Australia and Monash University; legal critiques were advanced by bodies including the Australian Lawyers Alliance and commentators in journals like the Australian Journal of Social Issues. Debates referenced international law perspectives from the United Nations and human rights reporting by the International Commission of Jurists, while Indigenous leaders from communities such as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara voiced concerns echoed in submissions to inquiries at institutions like the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Category:2007 in Australia Category:Indigenous Australian politics