Media & news

Media enquiries

For all media enquiries please contact Sowaibah Hanifie, Media and Communications Advisor, on 0447 512 929 or email gcyp@gcyp.sa.gov.au.

Media releases and statements

Top children’s officials call for a rethink of social media ban
29 November 2024
Australia’s top officials for children and young people hold grave concerns about the rushed process and lack of clarity surrounding the Federal Government’s social media legislation,
which will place significant restrictions on social media use for under 16s.

ANZCCGA Joint Communique
21 August 2024
The Australian and New Zealand Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates (ANZCCGA) came together virtually in August to discuss the social media ban for young people under 16, South Australia’s Holding on to Our Future report, and inconsistent Child Safe Standards policies across jurisdictions.

Australian NPM Joint Statement – Little funding for torture prevention in federal Budget
20 May 2024
As members of the Australian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) we are deeply concerned and once again disappointed that the 2024–25 federal Budget did not contain more funding to support a nation-wide mechanism to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in detention.

ANZCCGA Joint Communique
13 May 2024
The Australian and New Zealand Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates (ANZCCGA) came together virtually to share information about key pieces of work taking place within each jurisdiction to promote and advocate for the best interests of children and young people and progress collective action to improve outcomes for First Nations children and young people. 

Children and young people in detention speak out about Raising the Age
29 April 2024
Guardian for Children and Young People and Training Centre Visitor’s new publication shares the direct voices of children and young people in detention about the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

ANZCCGA Joint Statement on Isolation in Youth Detention
21 February 2024
Noting that isolation must only be used as a last resort and always for the shortest time possible, the
ANZCCGA call for nationally consistent definitions and minimum standards for isolation practices in
youth justice detention, which are in accordance with international human rights standards.

ACCGA Media Release – Appointment of a National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People sends powerful message to families and communities
14 February 2024
Yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Government of a new National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People is a turning point for children and families across Australia.

South Australian Government proposes to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12-years-old
24 January 2024
Guardian for Children and Young People and Training Centre Visitor, Shona Reid, welcomes the government’s announced intention to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years old as an important first step – but continues to advocate for the age to be raised to at least 14 years, without exception.

 

Guardian for Children and Young People releases 2022-23 Annual Report  
28 November 2023
In her 2022-23 Annual Report, Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid, gets serious about the
government’s responsibility to look after children in their care and make meaningful changes to South
Australia’s out-of-home care system.

Training Centre Visitor 2022-23 Annual Report  
2 November 2023
The Training Centre Visitor’s Annual Report 2022-23 raises significant concerns about the rights and conditions for children and young people detained at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre.

Child and Young Person Visitor 2022-23 Annual Report  
2 November 2023
In her first annual report as Child and Young Person Visitor, Shona Reid amplifies the direct voices and experiences of children and young people living in residential care. 

ACCG Statement: Australia’s commissioners for children, guardians and advocates call for a respectful dialogue regarding the Voice Referendum  
27 September 2023
Australia’s children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates are urging all Australians to recognise the profound impact that the Voice Referendum has on all youth, particularly on our First Nations children and young people.

NPM Joint Statement – Queensland law change and detention of children in watch houses and adult prisons  
6 September 2023
Australia’s National Preventive Mechanism – including Training Centre Visitor, Shona Reid, as a nominally appointed member – have released a joint statement on changes to Queensland laws allowing indefinite detention of children in police watch houses and adult prisons.

Children and young people in detention in South Australia facing serious human rights breaches
22 June 2023
Guardian for Children and Young People and Training Centre Visitor, Shona Reid, holds grave concerns that the basic human rights of children and young people detained in Adelaide’s Youth Justice Centre are not being upheld. 

16 June 2023
South Australia – over time – has not invested adequately in early intervention and family support services and we now bear the consequences with children, young people and families missing out on vital services, and increasing pressure on the child protection system to step in at critical points.

ACCG Statement in response to commentary about child sexual abuse in the Northern Territory
21 April 2023
As a collective group of National, State and Territory Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates, our singular focus is to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We are concerned that recent commentary and assertions about child sexual abuse in the Northern Territory is lacking a considered, evidence-based mindset. The politicisation of the issue of child sexual abuse and the lives of First Nations children leaves us deeply concerned.

ACCG Support for the Uluru Statement
13 April 2023
As Australian Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates, we unequivocally provide our support to the full implementation of the Uluru Statement. This reaffirms our enduring commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of all children and young people in Australia.

Inaugural meeting of First Nations children’s commissioners and guardians identifies key advocacy priorities
15 February 2023
Last month, First Nations Children’s Commissioners, Guardians and Advocates throughout Australia came together as a group for the very first time in Brisbane, on Yuggera and Turrbul country.

Advocacy requests for children and young people living in state care at all time high
17 November 2022
The Guardian for Children and Young People’s 2021-22 Annual Report has revealed that South Australians are requesting advocacy for children and young people in state care at a higher rate than ever.

Mounting pressures in Kurlana Tapa creating serious concerns for detainees
3 November 2022
For the second year in a row, the Training Centre Visitor report has identified that conditions in Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre are taking a serious toll on the health and rehabilitation of the children and young people detained there.

Incarceration of children as young as 10 years of age in Australian youth detention centres is a national shame
27 October 2022
The Children’s Commissioners and Guardians of Australia have urged the federal, state and territory governments to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

Child protection and youth justice failing children caught up in two systems – 7 July 2022
The Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People’s latest report calls for immediate action to end the systems abuse affecting some of South Australia’s most vulnerable children and young people.

South Australia’s spending high as reliance on residential care continues – 5 July 2022 (updated 18 July 2022)
South Australia’s reliance on residential care continues to be the highest across Australia, effectively double the national average.

Children and young people in fear of their safety while in state care – 18 November 2021
Safety and stability remain the top presenting issues from children and young people living in South Australia’s child protection system.

Proposal to raise the age does not go far enough – 15 November 2021
All 15 of Australia’s children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates say a commitment by state attorneys-general to develop a proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 does not go far enough.

Residential care contributing to ‘criminalisation’ of young people – 14 October 2021
A new report from the Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People has found South Australia’s highly stressed child protection system is contributing to increased involvement in the youth justice system by some children and young people in care.

Number of Aboriginal children and young people in care worsens as SA set to fall short on Closing the Gap target – 13 May 2021
A new report released by the Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People states that just over one in every 11 Aboriginal children in SA is living in state care.

Cost of child protection in SA again climbs higher than national average – 1 April 2021
South Australia continues to be the second highest spender on child protection services per child and spends considerably less on preventative and family support services than any other jurisdiction across the nation.

Guardian highlights the need for an urgent response as UN criticises Australia’s failure to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility – 22 January 2021
Penny Wright, South Australia’s Guardian for Children and Young People and Training Centre Visitor, has called on the South Australian Government to urgently raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years.

In the news

VIDEO: Report about Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre in Adelaide’s north tabled in SA parliament – ABC News               (3 November 2023)

South Australian youth in detention causing ‘significant risk and injury’ to themselves, report reveals – ABC News              (2 November 2023)

SA youth prison only adequately recorded half of hospitalisations, damning watchdog report finds                       – The Guardian (2 November 2023)

Damning report into child self-harm in detention – InDaily        (2 November 2023)

Guardian for children in care delivers alarming report on state-run homes – The Advertiser (2 November 2023)

Bombshell human rights violation warning on SA kids in detention – The Advertiser (2 November 2023)

Call to ditch ‘unconscionable’ SA youth drug laws – InDaily      (1 November 2023)

Advocates call for national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children – ABC News (6 September 2023)

Commissioners call on WA, SA and NT governments to address gaps in child protection legislation – NT News              (11 August 2023)

Lawyer claims she wasn’t told for months that Aboriginal teen tried to take her life in youth detention – The Guardian (2 July 2023)

Scathing report on Adelaide’s Youth Justice Centre shows basic human rights not upheld – The Advertiser (30 June 2023)

Children self-harming to escape prolonged confinement in cells, South Australian watchdog says – The Guardian            (30 June 2023)

Child detainees suffering in isolation in Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre cells, watchdog says – ABC News (21 June 2023)

Guardian for Kids in State Care in SA Shona Reid releases alarming report – The Advertiser (19 June 2023)

Report reveals under-funding, drastic Indigenous over-representation in SA child protection system – National Indigenous Times (16 June 2023)

Justice denied: Lawyers claim breaches of SA child detainee rights – InDaily (12 May 2023)

‘Chronic’ staff shortage still impacting detained SA kids – InDaily (14 April 2023)

First Nations Children’s Commissioners, Guardians release national advocacy priorities – National Indigenous Radio Service (15 February 2023)

Detained children receiving ‘pitiful’ mental health support – InDaily (19 November 2021)

Child offenders detained in adult holding cells – InDaily (19 October 2021)

Controversial SA youth drug laws set to come into force – InDaily (30 September 2021)

Pioneer kids’ advocate quits over no funding – The Advertiser (26 August 2021)

Child protection watchdog resigns due to lack of funding – InDaily (25 August 2021)

Children in care left waiting in SA youth detention – InDaily (22 June 2021)

SA youth detention centre upgrade on track – InDaily (4 June 2021)

Commissioner warns MPs against Port Lincoln death inquiry – InDaily (25 May 2021)

“Disturbing” rate of SA Aboriginal children sent to court – InDaily (14 May 2021)

Indigenous care crisis – The Advertiser (14 May 2021)

Aboriginal children entering state care in SA at ‘worsening rate’, data shows – ABC News online (13 May 2021)

Call to increase age of criminal responsibility – The Advertiser (16 April 2021)

SA undecided on lifting criminal age from 10 as protestors rally for change – InDaily (15 April 2021)

State Government proposes changes to make adoption from state care easier – The Advertiser (27 March 2021)

Kids say youth prison better than state care – The Advertiser (22 March 2021)

Saving our at-risk kids – The Advertiser (20 February 2021)

Guardian calls for monitoring power, funding after child protection scandal – InDaily (19 February 2021)

Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson goes on the attack after inquiry reveals five girls in state care were pregnant – The Advertiser (17 February 2021)

Call to delay controversial SA youth drug program – InDaily (10 February 2021)

Renewed push to lift criminal age in SA after UN grilling – InDaily (22 January 2021)

Warning that SA youth drug program could breach detainees’ human rights – InDaily (12 January 2021)

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