New revelations have surfaced regarding Joshua Dale Brown, an accused child abuser, highlighting alarming events from his past. Investigations at one childcare centre indicated that he had forcibly handled children, yet he was permitted to continue his employment at multiple other facilities.
The independent children’s commissioner failed to escalate these troubling incidents, resulting in Brown’s ability to work across ten different childcare centres. Currently, he faces 70 charges related to eight victims, raising serious concerns within the community.
Initially, it was claimed that Brown was unknown to Victoria Police. However, his former employer, G8 Education, later acknowledged that two separate incidents had been reported to authorities; nonetheless, there was no review of Brown’s Working with Children Check.
Minister Vicki Ward stated that the government is thoroughly investigating these matters to determine if systemic changes are required to improve child safety standards. The first inquiry took place in 2023, triggered by allegations that Brown had handled a child inappropriately by not providing adequate support during a distressing moment. This incident was reported by three colleagues; the findings were substantiated, and Brown received a formal warning before taking a three-month leave of absence.
The second investigation began in January of the previous year after complaints emerged from both a parent and staff members. They alleged that Brown had violently grabbed one child’s arm and another’s leg, additionally pulling a child’s shoe off forcefully. Brown was suspended immediately, yet he resigned from his position before the investigation could conclude.
Despite the gravity of the reports, Brown’s Working with Children Check escaped scrutiny, even after multiple incidents were reported to Victoria Police and to the Department of Education and the Commission for Children. Minister Ward mentioned that a review is currently in progress, with recommendations expected to be delivered next month.
These developments underline the urgent need for stronger safeguarding measures within child care settings, as the community grapples with the implications of Brown’s actions and the systemic failures that allowed them to persist for so long.