Latest news with #ChristianMcGrath
Reuters
01-07-2025
- Reuters
Australian health authorities call for infectious disease tests of children after man charged with sex offices
SYDNEY, July 1 (Reuters) - Australian health authorities are urging around 1,200 children in the state of Victoria to be tested for infectious diseases after police charged a childcare worker with dozens of sexual abuse offences. Police said on Tuesday that Joshua Brown, a 26-year-old Melbourne man, had been arrested and charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims. The alleged victims were aged between five months and two years of age and attended Creative Garden Early Learning Centre between April 2022 and January 2023. Police said they had launched a significant investigation since Brown's arrest. Sex crime squad detectives concluded Brown had worked at 20 Melbourne childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025, and were also investigating allegations of offending at a second childcare centre in Melbourne's north. Victoria's chief health officer, Christian McGrath, said 2,600 families had been contacted by authorities, with 1,200 children recommended to undergo testing for infectious diseases. 'This is another distressing element to the situation, and we're taking this approach as a precaution,' McGrath told a news conference. 'We do believe it's a low risk, but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and wellbeing of their children.' Police said the investigation was triggered by the discovery of child abuse material, not by a complaint made by a victim. Acting Police Commander Janet Stevenson said Brown was not previously known to police and held a valid permit to work with children, which has since been cancelled. Brown, who remains in police custody, will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 15. Stevenson said a suppression order on Brown's identity was lifted in order to notify parents with children in childcare. "We felt that it was really important. This is unique. It's very important to ensure that every parent out there that has a child in childcare, knows who he is and where he worked," she said. "It was an unusual decision but it is before the courts and so it is actually public knowledge."
Al Arabiya
01-07-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Australian nursery worker charged with raft of child sex crimes
Doctors urged that 1,200 Australian children get tested for infectious diseases on Tuesday after police charged a former daycare worker with dozens of 'deeply distressing' sex crimes. Victoria police said a 26-year-old man had been charged with more than 70 crimes stemming from alleged sexual assaults against eight children aged between five months and two years old. 'As you could imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear,' police commander Janet Stevenson told reporters. The man worked at 20 nursery schools across the city of Melbourne between 2017 and 2025, Stevenson said. State chief health officer Christian McGrath said 1,200 children who may have come into contact with the accused should be tested for 'potential exposure' to infectious diseases. Authorities did not specify which diseases the children may have been exposed to but said they could be easily treated with antibiotics. 'We do understand that this is another distressing element to this situation,' McGrath, an infectious diseases physician, told reporters. State Premier Jacinta Allan said she was 'sickened' by the man's alleged crimes. 'They are shocking and distressing,' she told reporters. 'And my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare.'
Malay Mail
01-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
‘Deeply distressing': Australian childcare worker charged with over 70 child sex offences; 1,200 children urged to get tested
SYDNEY, July 1 — Doctors urged that 1,200 Australian children get tested for infectious diseases on Tuesday after police charged a former daycare worker with dozens of 'deeply distressing' sex crimes. Victoria police said a 26-year-old man had been charged with more than 70 crimes stemming from alleged sexual assaults against eight children aged between five months and two years old. 'As you could imagine this was deeply distressing for the families to hear,' police commander Janet Stevenson told reporters. The man worked at 20 nursery schools across the city of Melbourne between 2017 and 2025, Stevenson said. State chief health officer Christian McGrath said 1,200 children who may have come into contact with the accused should be tested for 'potential exposure' to infectious diseases. Authorities did not specify which diseases the children may have been exposed to but said they could be easily treated with antibiotics. 'We do understand that this is another distressing element to this situation,' McGrath, an infectious diseases physician, told reporters. State Premier Jacinta Allan said she was 'sickened' by the man's alleged crimes. 'They are shocking and distressing,' she told reporters. 'And my heart just breaks for the families who are living ever parent's worst nightmare.' — AFP
CNA
01-07-2025
- Health
- CNA
Australian nursery worker charged with raft of child sex crimes
SYDNEY: Doctors urged that 1,200 Australian children get tested for infectious diseases on Tuesday (Jul 1) after police charged a former daycare worker with dozens of "deeply distressing" sex crimes. Victoria police said a 26-year-old man had been charged with more than 70 crimes stemming from alleged sexual assaults against eight children aged between five months and two years old. "As you could imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear," police commander Janet Stevenson told reporters. The man worked at 20 nursery schools across the city of Melbourne between 2017 and 2025, Stevenson said. State chief health officer Christian McGrath said 1,200 children who may have come into contact with the accused should be tested for "potential exposure" to infectious diseases. Authorities did not specify which diseases the children may have been exposed to but said they could be easily treated with antibiotics. "We do understand that this is another distressing element to this situation," McGrath, an infectious diseases physician, told reporters. State Premier Jacinta Allan said she was "sickened" by the man's alleged crimes. "They are shocking and distressing," she told reporters.
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Health bosses warn Victorians against picking wild poisonous mushrooms
Foragers are being warned about potentially deadly mushrooms growing across Victoria as the weather becomes wetter and colder. Death cap and yellow-staining mushrooms appear during the autumn months, and if ingested, can be poisonous. The states's chief health officer Dr Christian McGrath urged Victorians not to pick and eat wild mushrooms unless they are an expert, and clear any that are spotted growing out of the way of children and pets. 'Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness,' he said on Tuesday. 'Consuming a death cap mushroom may result in death.' All wild mushrooms should be disposed of using gloves and placed into landfill bins, with no home tests currently available to distinguish safe and edible mushrooms from poisonous ones – which can cause stomach pains, nausea vomiting and diarrhoea. Mushrooms purchased from a supermarket, greengrocer or other reputable source are safe to eat, Dr McGrath added. Multiple deaths have been reported from suspected mushroom poisoning in Victoria in recent years. In April 2024, 53-year-old Rachael Dixon went into cardiac arrest and died after allegedly drinking a hallucinogenic concoction prepared from wild mushrooms. She was attending a healing retreat when she drank the fatal magic mushroom tea. Help is available around the clock via the Victorian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738, to seek urgent medical advice.
