AUSTRALIA
The Canberra Times
Katie Burgess
Schools, child care centres and health providers will be forced to report all child abuse allegations to the ACT Ombudsman from this Saturday.
However the ACT’s new reportable conduct scheme does not cover church organisations, Scout groups, sporting clubs or dance schools, despite government officials telling the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse the scheme would need to be refined to meet community expectations as far back as March.
In launching the scheme on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry denied there were gaps in the law and said the most important aspect was its consistency with other states and territories.
Ms Berry said a review into the scheme would begin immediately to examine its effectiveness but any decision to extend it would take place after the Royal Commission handed down its final report in December.
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