Wait before blaming social workers for abuse, says union

Social workers should not be blamed for the alleged sexual abuse of two girls in foster care until the case has been reviewed, their union said yesterday.

It was reported this week that two young girls taken from their parents by Child, Youth and Family (CYF) were placed with a man who sexually abused them, despite the department being warned about him.

Brenda Pilott, national secretary of the Public Service Association, said the union's members were shocked by the allegations.

"High-profile abuse cases often lead to a feeding frenzy of media and political attention," she said.

"However politicians, the media and others currently commenting on it need to be open to the possibility that inadequate systems and processes are just as likely to be at fault as poor social work practice."

She said social workers "absolutely must behave professionally at all times, but they also need to be properly supported to carry out one of the hardest jobs any public servant is called upon to perform."

A CYF spokeswoman confirmed the children were removed from their foster home because of "care and protection issues".

CYF Minister Ruth Dyson said she shared the disgust and anger of the girls' father.

The minister has asked CYF for a report into any allegations it received before placing the children in care.

The Herald on Sunday reported that it interviewed the 44-year-old foster carer, who had confessed to the abuse.

The newspaper said that before the children were placed with the man, their parents and a priest who knew him told CYF he was not an appropriate person to look after children.

The children's father, named only as Malcolm, said yesterday that he had told CYF the man spent a lot of time looking at internet porn and had gambling and drinking problems.

"They pretty much didn't believe us, they'd done their background checks and everything was up to their standards," he said.

- NZPA