A devastating Queensland Commission of Inquiry has exposed systemic sexual abuse in the state's child protection system, leading to immediate plans to remove children under five from residential care and a pledge to respond to 52 recommendations within two months.
A Queensland Commission of Inquiry has delivered a damning report into the state's child protection system, revealing widespread sexual abuse in residential care settings and issuing 52 recommendations for reform.
The inquiry, chaired by former Federal Court Judge Paul Anastassiou, found that the number of children in residential state care has more than tripled over the past decade. Shockingly, Queensland now has almost as many children in residential care as every other state and territory combined.
The report detailed harrowing testimony from victims over nearly 50 hearings across the state, and found that 67 per cent of reported incidents of sexual abuse made to the Department of Child Safety involved children in residential care settings. In response, the Queensland government has announced it will remove all children under five from residential care, with Minister for Child Safety, Domestic and Family Violence, Amanda Camm condemning the former Labor government's reliance on such placements.
Camm described residential facilities as "houses of horror" where children experienced abuse, neglect, and where providers profited from vulnerability. She emphasized that placing young children with strangers creates greater safety risks than supporting them within their families. The data underscores the scale: out of 13,568 children in out-of-home care in Queensland, 2,258 are in residential care, including 78 under five and 472 under ten. The findings have sparked urgent calls for systemic change.
Psychologist and former National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds warned that the state is a poor substitute for loving family connections and that residential care, especially for very young children, is an "extremely high risk policy" with poor outcomes. The government has pledged to recruit 1,000 more foster carers to provide stability and hope.
The report also highlights the disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, who make up half of those in out-of-home care despite being less than 10 per cent of the population. Outgoing commissioner Natalie Lewis stressed the importance of applying the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle to maintain cultural connections. The government has committed to responding to all 52 recommendations within two months.
Beyond the immediate steps, the inquiry's findings point to a decade of policy failure that prioritized institutional care over family-based solutions. The surge in residential placements-driven by underinvestment in foster care and support services-created conditions for widespread abuse. The government's promise to remove children under five is a critical first step, but experts warn that without addressing the root causes, including poverty, family violence, and lack of early intervention, the system will continue to fail vulnerable children.
The recruitment of foster carers must be accompanied by robust training, financial support, and cultural understanding to ensure placements are safe and sustainable. For Indigenous children, the focus must be on healing intergenerational trauma and strengthening community-led solutions, as severing ties to family, kin, culture, and Country compounds harm. Moving forward, the Queensland government faces intense pressure to implement comprehensive reforms that center on children's rights and well-being.
The 52 recommendations likely cover areas such as oversight of residential facilities, staff training, reporting mechanisms, and support for families to prevent removal. The timeline of two months for a full response is ambitious but necessary given the urgency. The state must also work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to develop culturally appropriate care models that respect the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
The national implications are significant: Queensland's overreliance on residential care contrasts with other jurisdictions that have successfully expanded foster care and early support. The crisis exposes a systemic neglect that demands not only policy change but a fundamental shift in how society values and protects its most vulnerable members
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