1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,199 Speaker 1: Just a warning before we start. This podcast contains highly 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: distressing themes involving child sexual abuse. So if you're not 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: in the right headspace to listen to today's episode, maybe 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: skip this one and come back tomorrow. And if you 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: or anyone you know need support, you can contact one 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: eight hundred respect anytime on one eight hundred seven three 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: seven seven three to two. 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 2: Already and this is this is. 9 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 3: The Daily This is the Daily os Oh now it 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 3: makes sense. Good morning, and welcome to the Daily Yours. 11 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 3: It's Thursday, the third of July. I'm Belief at Simon's. 12 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: I'm Sam Kazlowski. 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 3: This week we learned a twenty six year old childcare 14 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 3: worker has been charged with seventy offenses, including child rape 15 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 3: in Victoria. It has led to an immediate and state 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 3: wide response that has impacted thousands of families in Victoria 17 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 3: and an entire sector. So what exactly do we know 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 3: about the allegations against this man and how are officials responding. 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 3: We'll tell you what you need to know in today's podcast. 20 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: Billy, this is going to be a difficult chat to 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: have because of the nature of this story. Before we 22 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: get into the details of what's happened. Give me a 23 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: sense of how this all originally unfolded. 24 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, and before I get into the details, I know 25 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 3: we did the message at the start, but I do 26 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 3: just really want to emphasize that the details that we're 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 3: sharing today are extremely distressing. 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: And part of being a good, responsible news broadcaster and 29 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: also a news listener for everyone listening and watching now 30 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: is to know when perhaps it's not the right day 31 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: to listen to this type of chat. 32 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: So when we first heard about this was on Tuesday 33 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 3: morning when Victoria Police did a press conference with the 34 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: Victorian Health Department and also the Victorian government. And I 35 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 3: think when you have all three of those departments involved, 36 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 3: you know that something very serious has happened, and indeed 37 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 3: that was the case. 38 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 2: So they revealed that. 39 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 3: A twenty six year old childcare worker whose name is 40 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 3: Joshua Brown, had been charged with more than seventy offenses, 41 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 3: and like I said at the top, that includes child rape. Now, 42 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 3: those seventy charges relate to eight victims at a childcare 43 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 3: center in Point Cook, which is a suburb in Melbourne, 44 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 3: and the offenses allegedly occurred between April twenty twenty two 45 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 3: and January twenty twenty three. 46 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: So at the moment, are the charges that have been 47 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: laid only relating to one childcare center. 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 2: Yes, at this stage. 49 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 3: However, you might have heard that this man did work 50 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: at twenty childcare centers across Victoria between twenty seventeen and 51 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 3: twenty twenty five, and he was working at a childcare 52 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 3: center right up until he was arrested in May this year. 53 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 3: But yes, in terms of the charges that have been laid, 54 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 3: police really emphasized that all of those current charges are 55 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 3: limited to the one childcare center, and Acting Commander Janet Stephenson, 56 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 3: who was the person who announced this on Tuesday, she 57 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 3: was clear in the press conference that they are not 58 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 3: suggesting that the accused has offended against children in all 59 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 3: of the twenty centers. However, saying all that saying that 60 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: currently is limited to the one childcare center, police did 61 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 3: say that they are investigating evidence of an allegation at 62 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 3: a second childcare center in Essendon, which is another suburb 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: in Melbourne. 64 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: So what do we know about these charges and has 65 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: there been a plea entered by the accused. 66 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,839 Speaker 3: At the stage, So, in terms of the chargers, they 67 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 3: include child rape, attempted child rape, they include sexual activity 68 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 3: in the presence of a child, and they also include 69 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 3: producing child abuse material. 70 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: Those are just some of the charges, but there are 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: many more. 72 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: In terms of the victims of these alleged offenses, police 73 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 3: say that the victim were aged between five months and 74 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 3: two years old at the time of the alleged offenses. 75 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 3: And has he entered the plea yet, So in terms 76 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: of a plea, he hasn't, so we don't know whether 77 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: or not he will plead guilty or not guilty. What 78 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 3: the police did say is that he was cooperative with 79 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 3: police when they arrested him. 80 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: There's some really horrific allegations. What do we know about 81 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: how these families found out about all of this? 82 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think before we look at how the families 83 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: found out, we kind of need to understand how police 84 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 3: found out. 85 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: So we don't know the exact details. 86 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 3: But what we do know is that police say that 87 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 3: this was a proactive investigation that didn't start through someone's complaint, 88 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 3: So this didn't start from a family coming forward or 89 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 3: from a child center coming forward with a complaint. Police 90 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 3: said that they were investigating these alleged crimes before they 91 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 3: actually even had a victim, and they said that it 92 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 3: took them some time to find a victim of how 93 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 3: the families found out. So this is the timeline that 94 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 3: Victoria Police laid out. They said that the man was 95 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 3: arrested on the twelfth of May, which is now two 96 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 3: months ago. In months, We then know that the families 97 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 3: of the eight victims were notified of the charges laid 98 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 3: against Brown last week. So the families of these victims 99 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 3: were notified of what allegedly happened last week, and the 100 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 3: police said that, as you can imagine, this was deeply 101 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 3: distressing for the families to hear, and they're now going 102 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 3: through this process of supporting these families, who all officials 103 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 3: have said is just all of the parents' worst nightmare. 104 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: So we know there's eight victims here, but we also 105 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: know that there must be thousands of children who were 106 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: at childcare centers at the same time as the alleged defender. 107 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: What's being done to kind of deal with the wider 108 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: fallout to these allegations. 109 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, So the Victorian Health Department, who like I said, 110 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 3: was also at this press conference on Tuesday, They said 111 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 3: it has contacted around two thousand and six hundred families 112 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 3: who had children who were attending the childcare centers at 113 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 3: the same time as the accused, and they sent a 114 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 3: letter to these families on Tuesday, so basically at the 115 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 3: same time as the public found out. The families who 116 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 3: didn't have alleged victims at this stage but did have 117 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 3: children at the childcare centers, we kind of found out 118 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 3: at the same time as them, because they were only 119 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 3: sent a letter on Tuesday informing them, and police were 120 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 3: clear in saying that if families haven't been contacted, then 121 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: it's highly unlikely that their child has been impacted. But 122 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 3: a detail they share the Victorian Health Department shared, which 123 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 3: they said is just another layer of how distressing this 124 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 3: story has been for, especially so many families in Victoria. 125 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 3: They said that one two hundred children have been recommended 126 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: as a precautionary measure to undergo testing for infectious diseases 127 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 3: due to potential. 128 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: Risk, which is quite confronting to you. 129 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 3: Yes, I mean, I've never heard of something like that 130 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: happening before now. Police were asked, obviously by journalists about 131 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 3: the nature of the kind of infection they're talking about here, 132 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 3: and a journalist specifically asked if the man had been 133 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 3: tested for an SDI and if that's a kind of 134 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 3: infection they're talking about. Now, police and the Health Department 135 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 3: refuse to answer that question. They said that that is 136 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 3: personal health information and that they weren't going to share it, 137 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 3: especially to protect the privacy of the children and the 138 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 3: families involved here. But the Health Department did say that 139 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 3: the potential infection they are testing for can be treated 140 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 3: with antibiotics. 141 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: So it's all of a sudden kind of turned into 142 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: quite a wide ranging not just investigation by police, but 143 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: also a health response as well. I want to talk 144 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: about the political response. Now, how has the Victorian government responded? 145 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 3: So, like I said, the press conference on Tuesday was 146 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 3: a joint one with Victoria's premier just into Alan there 147 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 3: and I think you could see that she was quite 148 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 3: shocked and shaken by these allegations. She said that she 149 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 3: is sickened by the allegations and that her heart breaks 150 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 3: for the families that are living every parent's worst nightmare. 151 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 3: And then on Wednesday, so yesterday, the government made some 152 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 3: announcements about how they will be responding to this, and 153 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 3: there were a few different things that they announced. So 154 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: one was that all families whose children have been referred 155 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 3: for precautionary testing, the one that I was just talking 156 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 3: about all of those families. So the oney two hundred 157 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: families will be eligible for a five thousand dollar payment. Interesting, 158 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 3: and that is designed to help families who might need 159 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 3: to take time off work or who might now need 160 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 3: to go to therapy all of the health and mental 161 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: health appointments that now might be required after they have 162 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 3: learned of this information. And then separate to that, in 163 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 3: terms of strengthening the safety of the childcare sector in Victoria, 164 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 3: one thing they did note is that childcare is actually 165 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 3: regulated in Australia at a national level, so it's not 166 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 3: done by state and territory, which education actually is, but 167 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 3: childcare is not. But despite that, the Premier said that 168 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 3: clearly action needs to be taken now, and so she 169 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 3: said that the government is commissioning an urgent review into 170 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 3: childcare safety in the state, which will be focused on 171 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 3: the immediate actions that they can take. And they said 172 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 3: that part of that will be looking into examining options 173 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 3: for installing CCTV in childcare centers, and she said the 174 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 3: review for that deadline is the fifteenth of August, so 175 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 3: in about two months. 176 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: And I imagine that a lot of that sort of 177 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: short term response is of course to try and figure 178 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: out where a system failed young children, but also to 179 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: give families of children who continue to go to childcare 180 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: centers some extra comfort. And that's where I think it's 181 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: interesting to think about the industry as well, is that 182 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: this is an industry full of mostly brilliant people and 183 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: that the sector itself needs to kind of survive this. 184 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, the eight government said that they are also going 185 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 3: to be working on a Victorian register for childcare workers, 186 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 3: but the Victorian Premier also noted that a register of 187 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 3: childcare workers is also being looked at at a national level, 188 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 3: but they're going to do the Victorian level one first, 189 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 3: just as a first step. 190 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: Tell me what happens next in this case. We know 191 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: that the legal system, rightfully so doesn't move fast. So 192 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: this is going to go on for a while, right, Yeah. 193 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 3: So the man Joshua Brown is in jail at the 194 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 3: moment and he will remain there until this is dealt 195 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 3: with at the court. His next drew to appear at 196 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 3: the Melbourne Magistrates Court in mid September. So, like you said, 197 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 3: not exactly moving fast, but there are obviously reasons for that. 198 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 3: I think for now though, it's these thousands of families 199 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 3: who are dealing with the immediate effects of just finding 200 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 3: out this information. Like I said, the families of the 201 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 3: eight victims only found out last week, and then the 202 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: thousands of families who had children at these childcare centers 203 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 3: at the same time as him, they've only found out 204 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 3: this week. So there is a health response, there is 205 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 3: a police response, and there's a government response, all happening 206 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 3: right now. 207 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: And just to read the rate, at the time of recording, 208 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: no plea has been entered by Joshua Brown. We work 209 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: in the system which presumes innocence until we know otherwise, 210 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 1: and the courts are now addressing his case. Billy, thank 211 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: you for taking us through that really difficult story. We 212 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Thank you, and thank you for joining 213 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: us on the daily ODS. This morning, I'm actually going 214 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: to read those helplines one more time. If you or 215 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: anyone you know needs some support, you can contact one 216 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: eight hundred respects on one eight hundred seven three seven 217 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: seven three to two. That's all we've got time for today. 218 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: We'll be back with some headlines later on. 219 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda 220 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 2: Bunjelung Calcuttin woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges 221 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 222 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 2: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and torrest 223 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 2: rate island and nations. We pay our respects to the 224 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: first peoples of these countries, both past and present.