Tuesday, February 16, 2016

What Child Protection?



TRAGICALLY, HERE WE GO again. As we prepare for Sunday's walk in memory of Karen Chetcuti along comes another case of an innocent death because the system failed. Fatally.
This time it is an eight-year-old boy. Murdered, allegedly, by his own father after other family members, I'm told, begged 'child protection ' not to release the child into his custody.
 I put the words child protection in quotes and I use the term loosely because too often these days  there is scant protection for the kids.
Graham Dillon, appeared in Canberra Magistrate’s Court this morning charged with the murder of his son, Brayden, on Monday night in suburban Jacka,  and  also facing charges of assaulting his daughter three times between January 1 and February 16.
 

(Prosecutor Shane Drumgold enters court today. Credit: Canberra Times)
I have talked to people close to this case – although apparently not as close as the agency staff in New South Wales and Canberra who took eight-year-old Brayden away from his mother and gave custody to his father.

I am told that family opposed the move because Dylan had a  history of psychotic behavior. They feared for his children’s welfare.  And  they were ignored.
The authorities believed the father when he said: ‘ I love the kids and want to look after  them’.
The dead boy’s sister managed to call police before she too was so badly  hurt she is now in hospital in intensive care. Her brother was dead before police arrived.
Dillon has been remanded in custody at the Alexander Maconochie Centre until another hearing on March 1. He did not apply for bail and entered no plea.
As I said, here we go again. The principle is the same. I hope of lot of people join me in honour of Karen Chetcuti and other victims at Blackburn South High School, 10a.m. Sunday to walk to the Burvale Hotel.
 

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