Aboriginal community violence amd disease
AN Aboriginal community in
Queensland has a rate of sexually transmitted infections 50 times the
state average, according to a report that highlights a shocking culture
of rape and underage sex.
Indigenous leaders called for tougher action to tackle spiralling child abuse, violence and truancy in Aurukun, on the western side of Cape York, where a decade-long ban on alcohol and a hard-line attack on social dysfunction, including the takeover of welfare payments among offending families, have been in place.
The township of 1300 is one of four Cape York communities targeted in a state-federal welfare reform trial that is costing tens of millions of dollars.
While the trial, championed by indigenous leader Noel Pearson, has led to improvements in school results, violence and truancy remain rampant across Cape York in the face of sly-grogging and a lack of economic opportunity.
The Griffith Youth Forensic Service report, commissioned by the former Bligh Labor government, is being kept secret, but The Weekend Australian has learned of many of its disturbing findings. They include:
● The rate of reported sexual offences in Aurukun was six times the state average, between 2001 and 2012.
● The average age of a sexual assault victim was 14, 85 per cent were under 17 and the youngest was just 4.
● Teenage pregnancy accounted for one-third of births.
● More than 200 children under 16 years of age and 29 under 10 were being treated for STDs. In total, there were almost 3000 STD infections recorded — which is 56 times the rate of infection among the wider Queensland population.
The report also uncovered increasing violence, abuse and dysfunction in the western suburbs of Cairns, where many indigenous families have moved from the Cape York communities, the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea and are living in pockets of social housing.
Despite calls from indigenous leaders for its public release, the report is being kept secret on the recommendation of its author, professor Stephen Smallbone.
The Griffith University researcher told the Newman government, which says it will eventually release the report, that a public airing of the findings could stigmatise the communities and worsen the problem.
Wik elder Bruce Martin, who is from Aurukun and sits on Tony Abbott’s Indigenous Advisory Council, said the report needed to be released.
“Community needs to have the information to understand the extent of the issues, needs to have open and difficult conversations,’’ Mr Martin said.
He said tougher action needed to be taken, but he warned that a Northern Territory “top-down’’ intervention would not work.
“Deeply troubled circumstances will need interventions, but there needs to be buy-in,” he said.
“It needs to be driven from the community with the support of police, politicians and leaders.’’
Publicly released state government figures to June last year show that, while some communities have experienced cuts in crime, the larger townships of Aurukun, Lockhart River and Yarrabah still had levels of violence not seen anywhere else in Queensland. While the statewide rate of “offences against a person’’ sits at six per 1000, in Aurukun it exceeds 117 per 1000; Lockhart River is at 67 offences and Yarrabah is at 125 offences.
It is understood the report is still being considered by the Abbott government, which has also given Dr Smallbone $2m in funding to develop strategies to tackle the problems.
The Newman government yesterday defended its refusal to release Dr Smallbone’s report, which it received early last year, saying that it had appointed deputy police commissioner Peter Barron to head a “multi-departmental’’ approach to tackle the problems.
The government has opened the door for a relaxation of the alcohol restrictions introduced gradually across Queensland’s 19 indigenous communities from 2002 after a landmark inquiry into the violence headed by Tony Fitzgerald.
Indigenous councils were asked to submit alternative alcohol management plans for cabinet approval. It is understood the only community that intends to keep its current plan is Aurukun, which was the first to become dry in 2002.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the government was “making significant improvements’’ with its strategy since receiving the secret report early last year.
New police squads are targeting the problem areas of Cairns, and teachers are being called upon to be more vigilant in their monitoring of behaviour by children that may signal abuse.
“We are working with the communities and the various agencies to get change,’’ Mr Dempsey said. “We won’t release the findings yet, we need to do more work, there is no quick fix.’’source
Indigenous leaders called for tougher action to tackle spiralling child abuse, violence and truancy in Aurukun, on the western side of Cape York, where a decade-long ban on alcohol and a hard-line attack on social dysfunction, including the takeover of welfare payments among offending families, have been in place.
The township of 1300 is one of four Cape York communities targeted in a state-federal welfare reform trial that is costing tens of millions of dollars.
While the trial, championed by indigenous leader Noel Pearson, has led to improvements in school results, violence and truancy remain rampant across Cape York in the face of sly-grogging and a lack of economic opportunity.
The Griffith Youth Forensic Service report, commissioned by the former Bligh Labor government, is being kept secret, but The Weekend Australian has learned of many of its disturbing findings. They include:
● The rate of reported sexual offences in Aurukun was six times the state average, between 2001 and 2012.
● The average age of a sexual assault victim was 14, 85 per cent were under 17 and the youngest was just 4.
● Teenage pregnancy accounted for one-third of births.
● More than 200 children under 16 years of age and 29 under 10 were being treated for STDs. In total, there were almost 3000 STD infections recorded — which is 56 times the rate of infection among the wider Queensland population.
The report also uncovered increasing violence, abuse and dysfunction in the western suburbs of Cairns, where many indigenous families have moved from the Cape York communities, the Torres Strait and Papua New Guinea and are living in pockets of social housing.
Despite calls from indigenous leaders for its public release, the report is being kept secret on the recommendation of its author, professor Stephen Smallbone.
The Griffith University researcher told the Newman government, which says it will eventually release the report, that a public airing of the findings could stigmatise the communities and worsen the problem.
Wik elder Bruce Martin, who is from Aurukun and sits on Tony Abbott’s Indigenous Advisory Council, said the report needed to be released.
“Community needs to have the information to understand the extent of the issues, needs to have open and difficult conversations,’’ Mr Martin said.
He said tougher action needed to be taken, but he warned that a Northern Territory “top-down’’ intervention would not work.
“Deeply troubled circumstances will need interventions, but there needs to be buy-in,” he said.
“It needs to be driven from the community with the support of police, politicians and leaders.’’
Publicly released state government figures to June last year show that, while some communities have experienced cuts in crime, the larger townships of Aurukun, Lockhart River and Yarrabah still had levels of violence not seen anywhere else in Queensland. While the statewide rate of “offences against a person’’ sits at six per 1000, in Aurukun it exceeds 117 per 1000; Lockhart River is at 67 offences and Yarrabah is at 125 offences.
It is understood the report is still being considered by the Abbott government, which has also given Dr Smallbone $2m in funding to develop strategies to tackle the problems.
The Newman government yesterday defended its refusal to release Dr Smallbone’s report, which it received early last year, saying that it had appointed deputy police commissioner Peter Barron to head a “multi-departmental’’ approach to tackle the problems.
The government has opened the door for a relaxation of the alcohol restrictions introduced gradually across Queensland’s 19 indigenous communities from 2002 after a landmark inquiry into the violence headed by Tony Fitzgerald.
Indigenous councils were asked to submit alternative alcohol management plans for cabinet approval. It is understood the only community that intends to keep its current plan is Aurukun, which was the first to become dry in 2002.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the government was “making significant improvements’’ with its strategy since receiving the secret report early last year.
New police squads are targeting the problem areas of Cairns, and teachers are being called upon to be more vigilant in their monitoring of behaviour by children that may signal abuse.
“We are working with the communities and the various agencies to get change,’’ Mr Dempsey said. “We won’t release the findings yet, we need to do more work, there is no quick fix.’’source