Latest news with #VictorianDepartmentofHealth
7NEWS
04-07-2025
- Health
- 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.
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill picked to co-lead Victoria childcare review following shock alleged child sex crimes revelations
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and a Victorian public service veteran have been chosen to lead an urgent review into childcare safety in Victoria following shocking revelations of alleged offences against children by a childcare worker. Victoria Police launched a major investigation after Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested and charged with over 70 child sex offences against eight alleged victims who had been in his care. Mr Brown had worked at 20 childcare centres across the state since 2017, and hundreds of families have been urged to have their potentially affected children tested for 'infectious diseases". A second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with child sex offences as part of the ongoing police probe. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said Victorians were 'horrified' by the allegations and on Wednesday announced that an 'urgent review' into childcare safety in the state had been commissioned. 'I know that right across our state, (Victorians) turned to one another and asked how this sort of alleged offending could ever be possible within a childcare centre,' the premier said in a statement. The premier said she wanted the review to look at potentially having CCTV installed in childcare centres, and she also announced a 'Victorian register' will be created. Ms Allan on Thursday then revealed the review will be co-led by Mr Weatherill, who served as South Australia Premier between 2011 and 2018, and Victorian public service veteran Pamela White, who has held senior roles within the sector for over three decades. '(Mr Weatherill) is recognised for his leadership in early childhood and tertiary education and was appointed in 2020 to lead the Minderoo Foundation's Thrive by Five early learning reform campaign,' Ms Allan stated. The 'short and sharp' review will hone in on steps the state government can take immediately, the premier said. A deadline of August 15 has been set for the review to report back to the government – which Ms Allan said will adopt all recommendations the review puts forward. Ms Allan has also outlined that the use of personal devices will be banned in the state's childcare centres by September 26, with the possibility of fines of up to $50,000 being imposed on centres if the new rule is breached after that date. 'My Government will take every action possible – as soon as possible – to strengthen safety standards in early childhood education and care, to keep Victorian children safe,' she said. The Victorian Department of Health activated a public health response this week following the arrest of Mr Brown - whose charges include sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing and transmitting child abuse material, and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety. The department urged parents of children who have potentially been exposed to Mr Brown to be screened for infectious diseases. Victorian Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson on Tuesday said the investigation is 'incredibly distressing and confronting' for all those involved. 'The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the [alleged] victims involved,' Acting Commander Stevenson said in a statement. 'These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way.'
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Sky News AU
Fresh details emerge of accused Melbourne child rapist's dating history seeking threesomes and casual sex prior to arrest
A Melbourne man accused of child sex offences was reportedly seeking threesomes on a casual sex site before he was arrested as part of a significant investigation, which exposed the alleged child sex crimes of a childcare worker. Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was arrested on Wednesday facing 45 charges including rape, bestiality and possession of child abuse material. Wilson's dating history prior to his arrest has now come to light, with the alleged child rapist previously seen active on an Australian casual sex website, seeking sexual encounters with either male-female couples or female-female couples. Wilson's profile on FlingFinder was under the pseudonym Viper15233 where he posted that he was ''just out of (a) long relationship'' and ''looking to get back out there'', according to the Daily Mail. Victoria Police said Wilson's charges relate to the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy in Hoppers Crossing on August 16. It is during the investigation of Wilson's child sex offences police discovered evidence of a separate string of sexual crimes against children at a childcare centre in Point Cook. Accused childcare rapist, Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested on May 12 facing more than 70 child sex offences against eight victims, who were in his care at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023. Brown's alleged list of offences include sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing and transmitting child abuse material, and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety. It has been alleged Brown used bodily fluids to tamper with the children's food in his care. The 26-year-old's identity was legally supressed until Tuesday when the horror was unleashed on the public. The revelation triggered an emergency response from Victoria Police urging families of more than 1,200 potentially affected children to have their kids tested "for infectious diseases". The Victorian Department of Health has also activated a public health response, urging parents to have their children screened for infectious diseases, depending on their potential exposure during the period of alleged offending. Brown and Wilson are reportedly known to each other, but Wilson's charges are not related to any childcare centre and involve different alleged victims. Brown has remained in custody since his arrest in May. Both Wilson and Brown are due to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 15.
1News
27-05-2025
- 1News
Mushroom cook asks 'who died?' as police search home
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson asked police "who died?" when they arrived to search her home one week after serving up a poisonous meal to her estranged husband's family. The 50-year-old is nearing the end of her triple-murder trial in regional Victoria, over the July 2023 toxic beef Wellington lunch she prepared which led to the deaths of three people, and near death of another. Video from a police search seven days after the meal was shown to the jury on Tuesday as a detective gave evidence. Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell said he arrived at Patterson's home in Leongatha, two hours' drive southeast of Melbourne, about 11.30am on August 5. The jury was shown photos of dark-coloured, red-coloured and a multi-coloured plate in drawers and a dishwasher at the home, as well as Nagi Maehashi's RecipeTin Eats cookbook titled Dinner next to the stove. ADVERTISEMENT Farrell said he opened the cookbook and found a beef Wellington recipe on a page that was "spattered" with cooking liquids. Photos of digital scales, a Sunbeam dehydrator manual, computer hard drives and tablets found in the home were also shown to the jury. Most recipes for the dish found online contain mushrooms. (Source: He said the search concluded about 3.45pm that day but before leaving he sat down with Patterson and asked for her phone. A video of that interaction was played to the jury, where Farrell sits opposite Patterson at her dining table. "Thanks for your patience today, with the house search," he says to Patterson. He said there was only one outstanding item, her mobile phone, and asked to "have a look". ADVERTISEMENT Patterson replied "of course", handed her phone over and he then asked if a pin code was required. She replied it was either a four-digit code or a six-digit code, but could not remember "which one", and then leaned over the table to assist him with the phone. Under cross-examination by defence barrister Colin Mandy SC, the detective confirmed Patterson's two children and dog were home during the search. She "expressed surprise" at being told Heather Wilkinson had died when police arrived, he said. The detective was read transcript of a video from that day, which stated Patterson was told the search warrant was "in connection to the deaths of two people over the last couple of days". "Her response is 'who died?'" Mandy asked Farrell, to which he agreed. Earlier today, a public health adviser was cross-examined by defence over alleged changes to the information Patterson had given her during a search of Asian stores for deadly mushrooms. ADVERTISEMENT Patterson had told Victorian Department of Health senior adviser Sally Ann Atkinson she'd purchased dried mushrooms from a store in Oakleigh, Clayton or Mount Waverley in April 2023 for a pasta dish. Death cap mushrooms (file image). (Source: Atkinson claimed Patterson had changed her story, initially stating she had used some of the mushrooms in that dish, and later said she decided not to use them. "At that time it sounded like she'd given me two conflicting pieces of information," she said today. Atkinson said she was involved in public health efforts to track down mushrooms from July 31 to August 4, and said Patterson informed her on August 3 to also look at Asian stores in Glen Waverley. After the investigation, which formally concluded on August 11, a report was compiled titled "The Patterson Family Outbreak", the jury was told. Atkinson confirmed the health department found the poisoning was an "isolated incident" and the risk to public health was "very low" with no recalls of products warranted. ADVERTISEMENT It was "highly unlikely" the commercial supply chain of mushrooms had been contaminated with amatoxin, also known as death cap mushrooms, she said. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder, over Don and Gail Patterson and Wilkinson's deaths, and one of attempted murder. The trial before Justice Christopher Beale continues.
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Perth Now
Mushroom cook asks 'who died?' as police search home
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson asked police "who died?" when they arrived to search her home one week after serving up a poisonous meal to her estranged husband's family. The 50-year-old is nearing the end of her triple-murder trial in regional Victoria, over the July 2023 toxic beef Wellington lunch she prepared which led to the deaths of three people, and near death of another. Video from a police search seven days after the meal was shown to the jury on Tuesday as a detective gave evidence. Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell said he arrived at Patterson's home in Leongatha, two hours' drive southeast of Melbourne, about 11.30am on August 5. The jury was shown photos of dark-coloured, red-coloured and a multi-coloured plate in drawers and a dishwasher at the home, as well as Nagi Maehashi's RecipeTin Eats cookbook titled Dinner next to the stove. Det Farrell said he opened the cookbook and found a beef Wellington recipe on a page that was "spattered" with cooking liquids. Photos of digital scales, a Sunbeam dehydrator manual, computer hard drives and tablets found in the home were also shown to the jury. He said the search concluded about 3.45pm that day but before leaving he sat down with Patterson and asked for her phone. A video of that interaction was played to the jury, where Det Farrell sits opposite Patterson at her dining table. "Thanks for your patience today, with the house search," he says to Patterson. He said there was only one outstanding item, her mobile phone, and asked to "have a look". Patterson replied "of course", handed her phone over and he then asked if a pin code was required. She replied it was either a four-digit code or a six-digit code, but could not remember "which one", and then leaned over the table to assist him with the phone. Under cross-examination by defence barrister Colin Mandy SC, the detective confirmed Patterson's two children and dog were home during the search. She "expressed surprise" at being told Heather Wilkinson had died when police arrived, he said. The detective was read transcript of a video from that day, which stated Patterson was told the search warrant was "in connection to the deaths of two people over the last couple of days". "Her response is 'who died?'" Mr Mandy asked Det Farrell, to which he agreed. Earlier on Tuesday, a public health adviser was cross-examined by defence over alleged changes to the information Patterson had given her during a search of Asian stores for deadly mushrooms. Patterson had told Victorian Department of Health senior adviser Sally Ann Atkinson she'd purchased dried mushrooms from a store in Oakleigh, Clayton or Mount Waverley in April 2023 for a pasta dish. Ms Atkinson claimed Patterson had changed her story, initially stating she had used some of the mushrooms in that dish, and later said she decided not to use them. "At that time it sounded like she'd given me two conflicting pieces of information," she said on Tuesday. Ms Atkinson said she was involved in public health efforts to track down mushrooms from July 31 to August 4, and said Patterson informed her on August 3 to also look at Asian stores in Glen Waverley. After the investigation, which formally concluded on August 11, a report was compiled titled "The Patterson Family Outbreak", the jury was told. Ms Atkinson confirmed the health department found the poisoning was an "isolated incident" and the risk to public health was "very low" with no recalls of products warranted. It was "highly unlikely" the commercial supply chain of mushrooms had been contaminated with amatoxin, also known as death cap mushrooms, she said. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder, over Don and Gail Patterson and Ms Wilkinson's deaths, and one of attempted murder. The trial before Justice Christopher Beale continues.
