Arabic version: الشرطة تحقق في اعتداء مزعوم بدار رعاية في كوينزلاند

According to The Guardian, police are investigating an alleged rape of a teenage girl at a state-funded residential care home west of Brisbane. A staff member at the home is accused of assaulting the girl, who is understood to be intellectually impaired, in an alleged attack on 20 August.

Queensland child safety minister Amanda Camm described the alleged offence as “heinous” and said she had zero tolerance for abuse, particularly involving vulnerable children in care. She said Queenslanders would rightly expect anyone convicted of such an offence to face the full force of the law.

Acting deputy police commissioner Rhys Wildman confirmed detectives were investigating but did not provide further details, citing the alleged victim’s vulnerability. The out-of-home residential care provider, which serves vulnerable children and young people, has been contacted for comment.

Camm said a commission of inquiry in June found that about 67% of reported sexual exploitation in state care involved children in residential care. She said that figure was unacceptable and that the government had no time to waste in reforming the system. Contracts had been cancelled where providers did not meet safety and quality standards, she said, adding that such providers had no place in the system.

The government accepted 32 of 52 recommendations in the child safety inquiry’s final report and committed $200m to implement them within 30 months. Attorney general Deb Frecklington said legislation to establish a Queensland Protection Commission would be introduced to parliament, with a hoped-for launch in early 2027. The proposed body would bring child-protection checks and safeguards together under one roof.