Australian regulator found a convicted sex offender exempt from needing a Working With Children Check
Victoria's regulator has determined that a man with prior sex-offence convictions did not require a Working With Children Check, ABC News Australia reports. The finding has drawn sharp criticism from child-protection experts and advocacy groups. The state government said it will review how WWCC exemptions are assessed.
Victoria's Commission for Children and Young People determined that a man with prior sex-offence convictions did not need a Working With Children Check (WWCC) for a role assessed as not involving direct contact with children, according to ABC News Australia. The man had previously been convicted of relevant offences on multiple occasions.
Child-protection experts said the decision runs counter to the core logic of the WWCC system. Advocacy groups argued that risk-assessment criteria within the application process are insufficient, and that practical implementation across cases is inconsistent.
The Victorian government said the decision will be subjected to an independent review and that WWCC exemption criteria will be re-examined. At the federal level, plans are also being discussed to strengthen information sharing between state regulators. Experts are calling for the establishment of a national database to close the gaps that this case has exposed.
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