Media Release: Revelations Regarding AYDC Staff ED5 Stand Downs & Re-Investigations

Revelations Regarding AYDC Staff ED5 Stand Downs & Re-Investigations

6 August 2024

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb MLC said today that at June 20 this year a total of 17 Ashley Youth Detention Centre AYDC staff have been stood down with formal suspension following due to historic child sex abuse allegations.

Ms Webb submitted Questions to the Government in June this year requesting details of the number of Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) staff previously stood down due to allegations of child sexual abuse who have since returned to work at AYDC, with responses tabled in the Upper House this afternoon.

“Confirmation that AYDC staff previously cleared of not breaching the State Service Code of Conduct but have since been resuspended due to further allegations raises more questions than the Government’s response answers,” Ms Webb said.

“These numbers don’t add up.

“Today we learned that between November 2020 and 20 June this year, 17 AYDC staff have been suspended due to child sex abuse allegations, with two resigning prior completion of an investigation.

“Further, we finally received confirmation of the long-feared concern that at least 5 AYDC staff who had been found to not be in breach of the State Service Code, have since been stood down again due to further allegations.”

Ms Webb said this confirmation of re-investigated AYDC staff raises serious questions regarding the rigour, adequacy and appropriateness of internal State Service Code of Conduct ED5 investigations.

“It also begs the question as to why these details are not clearly disclosed in the government’s routine disclosures detailing State servant suspensions due to child sexual abuse allegations?

“Further, by these numbers it appears there is still another 9 AYDC staff whose ED5 investigations are ongoing, which raises questions regarding the timeliness of these processes.”

Link to the Government’s Response to Meg’s Question on AYDC and Staff ED5 Investigations  here.

Link to the Government’s Response to Meg’s Question on AYDC Allegations, Tasmania  Police and Departmental Investigations Processes here