{"id":45243,"date":"2020-09-17T09:35:02","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T00:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/?p=45243"},"modified":"2020-09-17T10:32:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T01:02:11","slug":"minister-declines-interview-after-13-year-old-girl-in-state-care-was-abused-by-a-paedophile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/show\/david-and-will\/minister-declines-interview-after-13-year-old-girl-in-state-care-was-abused-by-a-paedophile\/","title":{"rendered":"Minister Declines Interview After 13-Year-Old Girl In State Care Was Abused By A Paedophile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FIVEAA Breakfast\u2019s David Penberthy has slammed as \u201cpathetic\u201d a decision by Minister for Child Protection Rachel Sanderson to decline a radio interview after it emerged a 13-year-old girl in state care had been impregnated by a 35-year-old man<\/a>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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There have been calls this week for an independent inquiry into the shocking case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penbo told FIVEAA Breakfast<\/em> listeners on Thursday:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe asked the Minister for Child Protection Rachel Sanderson to come onto the show this morning, not to carve her up – we asked her on because she\u2019s the minister.<\/p>

\u201cWe asked her on so she could answer questions that are designed to give the public confidence in the safety that\u2019s provided by the state ward system. We\u2019re certainly not blaming her as a member of executive government for the sentence that this person got\u2026<\/p>

\u201cShe\u2019s declined, which is pretty pathetic I think and even more pathetic is the statement she\u2019s given us, it says: \u2018The safety and wellbeing of children and young people in care remains our number one priority. Any person who targets children and young people in a predatory manner will face the full force of the law.\u2019<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s not our job to sit here reading out lame statements from the minister,\u201d Penbo said. \u201cThey\u2019re meant to front up and answer questions about important matters of public interest like this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile Opposition Child Protection spokeswoman Katrine Hildyard told David & Will she was \u201csickened\u201d by what had happened to the girl \u201cwhom the minister has responsibility to care for\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just awful and it is beyond comprehension and utterly unacceptable,\u201d she said. \u201cWe absolutely need an independent inquiry into this appalling case\u2026 Rachel Sanderson fobbed the media yesterday and has yet to provide a full account of what actions she has taken to ensure that something like this never ever happens again.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

LISTEN:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n