Queensland teenager allegedly raped at state-funded care home
A Queensland teenager with an intellectual impairment was allegedly raped by a staff member at a state-funded residential care home, deepening scrutiny of the state's troubled child safety system.
Queensland police are investigating an alleged sexual assault that took place on 20 August at a state-funded residential care home west of Brisbane. A staff member is accused of raping a teenage girl who is understood to have an intellectual impairment.
Child safety minister Amanda Camm confirmed the alleged attack was being investigated and said she had zero tolerance for abuse of vulnerable children in care, adding that anyone convicted of such a "heinous" offence should face the full force of the law.
Acting deputy police commissioner Rhys Wildman confirmed an investigation was under way but declined to give further details, citing the victim's vulnerability. The residential care provider involved has been asked for comment.
Systemic concerns
The case comes as pressure mounts on Camm over the child safety system, which the current government described as "broken" before taking office. A commission of inquiry that concluded in June found about 67% of reported sexual exploitation cases in state care involved children in residential care — a figure Camm called unacceptable, saying reform could not wait.
The government has already cancelled contracts with residential care providers that failed to meet safety and quality standards. It has also responded to 52 recommendations from the inquiry's final report, accepting 32 and committing $200m over 30 months to implement them. The inquiry's report found no child had been adopted from state care since 2019.
Attorney general Deb Frecklington said a bill to establish the Queensland Protection Commission would be introduced to parliament, with the agency expected to launch in early 2027 to bring child protection checks and safeguards under one body. The case follows a Child Death Review Board report that found multiple missed opportunities to stop one of Australia's most notorious paedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith.
