7 days ago
Calls for review into authorities' handling of complaints about alleged childcare abuser Joshua Brown
Warning: This story contains details of alleged child sex offences which may distress some audience members.
The Victorian government is facing calls for a full review into authorities' handling of complaints about accused childcare abuser Joshua Brown's conduct in the two years before his arrest.
Police have charged Mr Brown with 70 offences, including alleged sexual assault, relating to eight children at Creative Garden childcare centre in Point Cook in Melbourne's south-west.
The ABC yesterday revealed that Mr Brown was the subject of two complaints at the same centre, investigated and substantiated by the centre's operator, in 2023 and 2024.
Neither complaint was sexual in nature and came after his alleged period of offending but in the two years before he was arrested and had his Working with Children Check revoked.
Both incidents were reported to Victoria's Reportable Conduct Scheme, flagged with the Commission for Children and Young People, the Department of Education and Victoria Police, and investigated and substantiated by the centre's operator G8.
Despite the substantiated finding, the commission used discretionary powers not to escalate Mr Brown's case for a review of his Working with Children Check, missing an opportunity to reassess his clearance to work with children.
Child advocate Hetty Johnston said the system designed to protect children was instead failing them.
"The government has to take responsibility for this. It is outrageous."
Ms Johnston added: "I am disgusted in government and the way they are handling the protection of children and vulnerable people.
"We have to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and that means that anybody that is found to be treating children with anything but the utmost respect and care, should not be working with children."
Following questions from the ABC, childcare giant G8 issued a statement to parents on Saturday night detailing the alleged incidents reported to authorities.
It said it investigated and substantiated an allegation in April 2023 that Mr Brown "aggressively picked up and put down" a child and failed to support that child while they were upset.
He faced disciplinary action, including a formal warning, but returned to work after three months' leave.
G8 also investigated a second incident, in January 2024, in which Mr Brown allegedly "raised his voice … forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe".
The company said Mr Brown was suspended pending an investigation and then resigned.
The report was later substantiated by G8.
With no scrutiny on his Working with Children Check, Mr Brown went on to work at 10 other centres across Melbourne, owned by another company.
A parent whose child attended one of those centres — Papilio Early Learning in Essendon — told the ABC he was horrified Mr Brown was allowed to work there despite the two previous findings.
"It makes my blood boil," he said.
It is not clear whether the operator of that centre, Affinity Education, was aware of the findings.
On July 1, authorities took the rare step of publicly identifying Mr Brown as it announced that he had been arrested and charged with dozens of alleged offences.
They urged 1,200 children to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
"I am angry at the system now; it's not just the centre, it is the system that needs to be fixed," the parent said.
"This is ridiculous.
"There needs to be a proper review, there needs to be some major changes to the system.
The Commission for Children and Young People, Department of Education and Victoria Police have all refused to respond to the ABC's direct questions about the reports regarding to Mr Brown's conduct.
The Victorian government has established a webpage with information for affected families. Information, including details of the government's dedicated hotline, can be found here.
The government has commissioned a "rapid review" into safety in the childcare sector but will not probe the performance of the state's childcare regulator.
Government minister Vicki Ward faced a series of questions about the handling of the complaints and whether it would scrutinise the action of its own authorities, at a press conference on an unrelated matter today.
"We have been very clear about the parameters of the review and the review is undertaking that work and taking that work incredibly seriously," Ms Ward said.
"We are waiting for those recommendations to come forward so that we can act on them."
Asked directly how she would feel as a parent who learnt Mr Brown had multiple substantiated findings against him, but went on to work at other centres, Ms Ward said: "Any parent with a child who is in care … we are all horrified by these allegations.
Opposition education spokesperson Jess Wilson said: "To deliver lasting reform that will fix our failing system and protect children in childcare settings, every aspect of the system should be subject to this review — including the government's regulator and related statutory bodies."
