Latest news with #SafeguardingPeopleAustralia
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
‘Sick to the stomach': Convicted child rapist allegedly worked around kids at daycare run by his wife in Queensland
A convicted child rapist has been arrested after police allege he was working at a daycare run by his wife. 7NEWS can exclusively reveal Andrew Vassel, 44, was employed to do odd jobs had been working at Montessori Early Learning Centre in Beenleigh, about 30 minutes south of Brisbane, Queensland, despite the fact he is a convicted child rapist. His wife Amanda Vassel is the centre's director. Despite being a registered sex offender banned from working with children, Vassel was allegedly allowed on-site regularly, even donning a Santa suit during a Christmas event. 'Parents are entitled to feel angry and sick to the stomach that their kids (may) have been in the vicinity of a convicted sex offender,' Hetty Johnston from Safeguarding People Australia told 7NEWS. 'This is not acceptable.' Vassel was convicted in 2007 in New South Wales for sexual assault against a minor. He served eight months in jail and remains banned from child-related work. Amanda Vassel, 46, is accused of knowingly allowing her husband to work at the centre. In earlier footage provided to 7NEWS, she proudly described the progress of children at the daycare. 'It's very rewarding just to see how far they can go,' she said. 'You've got two-year-olds washing up their own dishes. You've got four-year-olds who are writing their own names fluently.' The couple were arrested at their Logan home on Wednesday night after detectives executed multiple search warrants. The disturbing revelations come as national concerns around childcare safety continue to escalate. Last month, Victorian educator Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 child sex offences, including rape. 'We should be able to trust the organisations that tell us that they're there to care for and protect our children,' Johnston said. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has flagged tougher consequences for centres failing to meet standards. 'If centres are persistently not meeting the sort of standards that mums and dads expect and that our kids deserve, then we've got to have the power to cut that funding off,' he said. Detectives said no children at the Beenleigh daycare have been identified as victims. But the allegations that a convicted child sex offender was present has sparked outrage. 'It's almost irrelevant whether something happened or didn't happen. Whether he's committed an offence or not,' Johnston said. Andrew Vassel has been charged with two breaches of child protection laws. Amanda Vassel faces charges for allegedly allowing the breaches to occur. She is due to face Beenleigh court on August 19.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘The system is so broken': Privacy restrictions helping alleged child abusers, says safety advocate
A privacy loophole is allowing alleged child abusers to game the working with children's check system, a leading child safety advocate says. The warning comes after it emerged alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown was able to keep his working with children check despite two internal investigations that substantiated his having 'forcibly' grabbed children. The 26-year-old former childcare worker is facing 70 charges including child sex abuse that allegedly occurred where he worked. Child safety advocate Hetty Johnston said she knew of three individuals in Queensland who made complaints about a worker in youth care and received compensation through a redress scheme. 'He still maintained a Blue Card [Queensland's working with children check] ... and it was because information wasn't shared with relevant authorities,' she said. 'That's because of government restrictions around privacy.' Johnston, is the founder of Safeguarding People Australia and previously founded Bravehearts, a charity dedicated to preventing childhood sexual abuse. She said the alleged Queensland victims did not go to police, which is not uncommon for survivors of abuse, but each of their complaints was found credible. Johnston said that under the Northern Territory's scheme, complaints made to police were included in the considerations undertaken for working with children checks, whereas in other jurisdictions such as Victoria and NSW only recorded convictions were taken into account.
The Age
14-07-2025
- The Age
‘The system is so broken': Privacy restrictions helping alleged child abusers, says safety advocate
A privacy loophole is allowing alleged child abusers to game the working with children's check system, a leading child safety advocate says. The warning comes after it emerged alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown was able to keep his working with children check despite two internal investigations that substantiated his having 'forcibly' grabbed children. The 26-year-old former childcare worker is facing 70 charges including child sex abuse that allegedly occurred where he worked. Child safety advocate Hetty Johnston said she knew of three individuals in Queensland who made complaints about a worker in youth care and received compensation through a redress scheme. 'He still maintained a Blue Card [Queensland's working with children check] ... and it was because information wasn't shared with relevant authorities,' she said. 'That's because of government restrictions around privacy.' Johnston, is the founder of Safeguarding People Australia and previously founded Bravehearts, a charity dedicated to preventing childhood sexual abuse. She said the alleged Queensland victims did not go to police, which is not uncommon for survivors of abuse, but each of their complaints was found credible. Johnston said that under the Northern Territory's scheme, complaints made to police were included in the considerations undertaken for working with children checks, whereas in other jurisdictions such as Victoria and NSW only recorded convictions were taken into account.
