Beloved jockey killed in freak horse incident identified
Tributes are flowing for a beloved jockey who was killed in a freak incident with a horse at the Cranbourne Training Centre.
Peta Tait, 43, who was an active member of the Victorian racing scene for nearly three decades, has been remembered as a 'passionate, caring, hard working person'.
An investigation is underway into Ms Tait's sudden death on Tuesday after she was kicked by a horse. Victoria Police said those on the scene performed CPR but she could not be revived.
Racing Victoria and Southside Racing confirmed Ms Tait's death on Wednesday.
Aaron Morrison, RV chief executive, shared his 'heartfelt condolences' to Ms Tait's loved ones.
'Like all within our industry, Peta loved horses and she forged a career working with them, helping numerous trainers prepare their horses as a trackwork rider or strapping them on raceday,' Mr Morrison said.
'Peta made a valuable contribution to Victorian racing over more than 25 years and her sudden passing will be felt by many, particularly in Cranbourne where she was based.'
Mr Morrison said the tragic accident served as an 'untimely reminder' of the 'thousands of unsung heroes' who work in stables every day and provide high-quality care to racehorses.
Ms Tait started out as a licensed jockey in picnic racing, an amateur competition, when she was 16 and went on to have a career as a trackwork rider and assistant to other trainers.
Ms Tait rode 48 winners in her time as a picnic jockey from 1998 to 2019. This included a win at the 2013 Hinnomunjie Cup with horse Gaudalcanal.
She finished her amateur race riding career on a high in October 2019 when she won the 1200m Cranbourne Corinthian on Unruly Student.
Ms Tait's colleagues at Busuttin Racing, trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, said their thoughts are with those 'nearest and dearest to Peta'.
Southside Racing Chief Executive Neil Bainbridge said support is being provided to those affected by Ms Tait's sudden death.
'We are providing support to Peta's employer, their staff and our staff who have been greatly affected by this terrible accident that occurred in the stables,' Mr Bainbridge said.
He said Ms Tait was a 'well-known and liked' member of the community, and that her absence will be 'felt by lots of people'.
Victorian Jockeys Association chief executive Matt Hyland said Ms Tait was a very popular rider on the picnic circuit and around the south-east of the state where she rode trackwork.
The announcement of Ms Tait's death also prompted an outpouring of tributes and condolences on social media.
Andrew Stead wrote on Facebook that Ms Tait was the most 'passionate, caring, hard working person' he had ever met.
Monica Croston shared that she is 'heartbroken by the loss of (her) special friend Peta Tait'.
Racing Victoria has encouraged members of the racing industry to seek support by calling free and confidential counselling service Stableline on 1300 530 122.
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The Advertiser
24 minutes ago
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Fears alleged sex offender worked with more children
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"Affinity Education continues to co-operate fully with authorities and remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of the children and families in our care." Meanwhile, a former royal commissioner has slammed governments for dragging their feet on creating a national regime for working with children checks. Brown, 26, had a valid working with children check and was not known to police or subject to any complaints before his arrest in May. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse called on the federal government in 2015 to "facilitate a national model" for working with children checks. Robert Fitzgerald, one of five members of the royal commission, said the recommendation remained unfulfilled. "My view is that is shameful," the now-age discrimination commissioner told AAP. "Ten years on, that job should have been completed and the fact that it isn't means there are gaps in our child safeguarding regime." Every state and territory maintains separate working with children schemes with different rules and requirements. Victoria, Queensland and NSW have all committed to reviewing or tightening up their regimes. A 2022 Victorian ombudsman report exposed "serious flaws" in the state's scheme after former Melbourne City Mission worker Alexander Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2018. Jones was investigated for multiple alleged sexual offences in NSW but granted a permit in Victoria because his national police check was clean, as he had not been charged. People under investigation for serious offences can still hold a working with children check in Victoria. It can only be revoked upon criminal charges or a regulatory finding. Plans to strengthen the checks will be discussed at a meeting of state and federal attorneys-general in August. The federal government is also preparing to fast-track legislation in parliament this month to cut funding to centres with safety breaches. Federal frontbencher Clare O'Neil said she didn't have a good answer for why the royal commission's recommendations were left on the shelf. "A lot of these predators would pass a working with children check," she said. Families of the children recommended for STI testing are anxiously awaiting results. It's understood that at least two families were told to get their infants checked twice. They were first told to get their child checked for two diseases and then days later were warned about a third. The state's health department has expressed regret for causing any additional stress or anxiety. The allegations against Brown have cast a spotlight on educator-to-child ratios, which do not require more than one carer to be around a child at any given time, unlike the Netherlands' "four eyes" principle. A father whose two children attended the Point Cook centre wants CCTV installed throughout the facility. NSW has flagged a trial of CCTV cameras in centres, as an urgent Victorian review examines making the technology mandatory. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A childcare operator is urgently checking its records amid fears that an accused child sex offender may have been employed longer than previously thought. Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 sex offences after allegedly abusing eight children aged under two at a Point Cook facility in Melbourne's southwest. Victoria Police are also examining evidence of alleged offending at a centre in Essendon. A list of the 20 centres he worked at since 2017, with dates ranges, has already been made public. The parents of 1200 children have been told to get them tested for sexually transmitted infections as a precaution. Affinity Education, which operates several facilities where Brown worked, including the Essendon centre, is now reviewing its records following reports he might have been employed longer than first thought. "Given the serious nature of the matter, we are currently reviewing our records in detail to ensure completeness," a spokesperson said. "Affinity Education continues to co-operate fully with authorities and remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of the children and families in our care." Meanwhile, a former royal commissioner has slammed governments for dragging their feet on creating a national regime for working with children checks. Brown, 26, had a valid working with children check and was not known to police or subject to any complaints before his arrest in May. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse called on the federal government in 2015 to "facilitate a national model" for working with children checks. Robert Fitzgerald, one of five members of the royal commission, said the recommendation remained unfulfilled. "My view is that is shameful," the now-age discrimination commissioner told AAP. "Ten years on, that job should have been completed and the fact that it isn't means there are gaps in our child safeguarding regime." Every state and territory maintains separate working with children schemes with different rules and requirements. Victoria, Queensland and NSW have all committed to reviewing or tightening up their regimes. A 2022 Victorian ombudsman report exposed "serious flaws" in the state's scheme after former Melbourne City Mission worker Alexander Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2018. Jones was investigated for multiple alleged sexual offences in NSW but granted a permit in Victoria because his national police check was clean, as he had not been charged. People under investigation for serious offences can still hold a working with children check in Victoria. It can only be revoked upon criminal charges or a regulatory finding. Plans to strengthen the checks will be discussed at a meeting of state and federal attorneys-general in August. The federal government is also preparing to fast-track legislation in parliament this month to cut funding to centres with safety breaches. Federal frontbencher Clare O'Neil said she didn't have a good answer for why the royal commission's recommendations were left on the shelf. "A lot of these predators would pass a working with children check," she said. Families of the children recommended for STI testing are anxiously awaiting results. It's understood that at least two families were told to get their infants checked twice. They were first told to get their child checked for two diseases and then days later were warned about a third. The state's health department has expressed regret for causing any additional stress or anxiety. The allegations against Brown have cast a spotlight on educator-to-child ratios, which do not require more than one carer to be around a child at any given time, unlike the Netherlands' "four eyes" principle. A father whose two children attended the Point Cook centre wants CCTV installed throughout the facility. NSW has flagged a trial of CCTV cameras in centres, as an urgent Victorian review examines making the technology mandatory. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A childcare operator is urgently checking its records amid fears that an accused child sex offender may have been employed longer than previously thought. Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 sex offences after allegedly abusing eight children aged under two at a Point Cook facility in Melbourne's southwest. Victoria Police are also examining evidence of alleged offending at a centre in Essendon. A list of the 20 centres he worked at since 2017, with dates ranges, has already been made public. The parents of 1200 children have been told to get them tested for sexually transmitted infections as a precaution. Affinity Education, which operates several facilities where Brown worked, including the Essendon centre, is now reviewing its records following reports he might have been employed longer than first thought. "Given the serious nature of the matter, we are currently reviewing our records in detail to ensure completeness," a spokesperson said. "Affinity Education continues to co-operate fully with authorities and remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of the children and families in our care." Meanwhile, a former royal commissioner has slammed governments for dragging their feet on creating a national regime for working with children checks. Brown, 26, had a valid working with children check and was not known to police or subject to any complaints before his arrest in May. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse called on the federal government in 2015 to "facilitate a national model" for working with children checks. Robert Fitzgerald, one of five members of the royal commission, said the recommendation remained unfulfilled. "My view is that is shameful," the now-age discrimination commissioner told AAP. "Ten years on, that job should have been completed and the fact that it isn't means there are gaps in our child safeguarding regime." Every state and territory maintains separate working with children schemes with different rules and requirements. Victoria, Queensland and NSW have all committed to reviewing or tightening up their regimes. A 2022 Victorian ombudsman report exposed "serious flaws" in the state's scheme after former Melbourne City Mission worker Alexander Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2018. Jones was investigated for multiple alleged sexual offences in NSW but granted a permit in Victoria because his national police check was clean, as he had not been charged. People under investigation for serious offences can still hold a working with children check in Victoria. It can only be revoked upon criminal charges or a regulatory finding. Plans to strengthen the checks will be discussed at a meeting of state and federal attorneys-general in August. The federal government is also preparing to fast-track legislation in parliament this month to cut funding to centres with safety breaches. Federal frontbencher Clare O'Neil said she didn't have a good answer for why the royal commission's recommendations were left on the shelf. "A lot of these predators would pass a working with children check," she said. Families of the children recommended for STI testing are anxiously awaiting results. It's understood that at least two families were told to get their infants checked twice. They were first told to get their child checked for two diseases and then days later were warned about a third. The state's health department has expressed regret for causing any additional stress or anxiety. The allegations against Brown have cast a spotlight on educator-to-child ratios, which do not require more than one carer to be around a child at any given time, unlike the Netherlands' "four eyes" principle. A father whose two children attended the Point Cook centre wants CCTV installed throughout the facility. NSW has flagged a trial of CCTV cameras in centres, as an urgent Victorian review examines making the technology mandatory. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A childcare operator is urgently checking its records amid fears that an accused child sex offender may have been employed longer than previously thought. Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 sex offences after allegedly abusing eight children aged under two at a Point Cook facility in Melbourne's southwest. Victoria Police are also examining evidence of alleged offending at a centre in Essendon. A list of the 20 centres he worked at since 2017, with dates ranges, has already been made public. The parents of 1200 children have been told to get them tested for sexually transmitted infections as a precaution. Affinity Education, which operates several facilities where Brown worked, including the Essendon centre, is now reviewing its records following reports he might have been employed longer than first thought. "Given the serious nature of the matter, we are currently reviewing our records in detail to ensure completeness," a spokesperson said. "Affinity Education continues to co-operate fully with authorities and remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of the children and families in our care." Meanwhile, a former royal commissioner has slammed governments for dragging their feet on creating a national regime for working with children checks. Brown, 26, had a valid working with children check and was not known to police or subject to any complaints before his arrest in May. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse called on the federal government in 2015 to "facilitate a national model" for working with children checks. Robert Fitzgerald, one of five members of the royal commission, said the recommendation remained unfulfilled. "My view is that is shameful," the now-age discrimination commissioner told AAP. "Ten years on, that job should have been completed and the fact that it isn't means there are gaps in our child safeguarding regime." Every state and territory maintains separate working with children schemes with different rules and requirements. Victoria, Queensland and NSW have all committed to reviewing or tightening up their regimes. A 2022 Victorian ombudsman report exposed "serious flaws" in the state's scheme after former Melbourne City Mission worker Alexander Jones was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2018. Jones was investigated for multiple alleged sexual offences in NSW but granted a permit in Victoria because his national police check was clean, as he had not been charged. People under investigation for serious offences can still hold a working with children check in Victoria. It can only be revoked upon criminal charges or a regulatory finding. Plans to strengthen the checks will be discussed at a meeting of state and federal attorneys-general in August. The federal government is also preparing to fast-track legislation in parliament this month to cut funding to centres with safety breaches. Federal frontbencher Clare O'Neil said she didn't have a good answer for why the royal commission's recommendations were left on the shelf. "A lot of these predators would pass a working with children check," she said. Families of the children recommended for STI testing are anxiously awaiting results. It's understood that at least two families were told to get their infants checked twice. They were first told to get their child checked for two diseases and then days later were warned about a third. The state's health department has expressed regret for causing any additional stress or anxiety. The allegations against Brown have cast a spotlight on educator-to-child ratios, which do not require more than one carer to be around a child at any given time, unlike the Netherlands' "four eyes" principle. A father whose two children attended the Point Cook centre wants CCTV installed throughout the facility. NSW has flagged a trial of CCTV cameras in centres, as an urgent Victorian review examines making the technology mandatory. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Message Victorian Government sent to parents after alleged childcare sexual assault offences
Text messages sent to the parents of the child victims of two alleged offenders have revealed for the first time which sexually transmitted infections their children must be tested for. A message sent from the Victorian Department of Health has asked parents to test their children for serious sexually transmitted infections (STI), including syphilis. 'It is recommended your child be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis,' the message read. 'Please show this message to your Urgent Care Clinic or your GP so they can arrange the test. ' It was revealed by The Age that some parents were required to retest their children as certain tests were not in the original message. Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was charged over the alleged rape of a teenage boy in Hoppers Crossing on April 16 which led police to uncover evidence of horrific alleged sexual abuse of children at Melbourne childcare centres, the Herald Sun reports. Childcare worker Joshua Brown, 26, who worked at more than 20 centres across Victoria between 2017 and May 2025, was charged on Tuesday. He is facing more than 70 child sex charges relating to the alleged abuse of eight children aged between five months and two-years-old. His charges include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12 and producing child abuse material. He is also accused of using his bodily fluids to contaminate children's food, reported. The charges against the two men prompted an urgent recommendation from the Victorian Government that 1200 children seek STI tests. On Wednesday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced that personal devices will be banned at all childcare centres across the state by September 26. Childcare centres that did not comply will face fines of up to $50,000. Families affected by the abuse, including those referred for testing, will be eligible for a $5000 immediate needs payment. Allen has also commissioned an urgent review into childcare safety, including the possibility of installing CCTV cameras in centres, as well as deploying a 'four eyes' principle, meaning children should not be left alone with a single adult. Working with Children Checks are reviewed every five years. The state government will now be reviewing whether the timeframe for this should be shortened. Wilson and Brown are reportedly known to each other, though the nature of the relationship is unclear, and Wilson's alleged offences are not believed to involve childcare centres or any of Brown's alleged victims. Wilson and Brown are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on September 15. Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.
