北领地独立审查报告揭示儿童保护部门"广泛失职"

北领地一份独立审查报告发现，该地儿童保护部门在5岁女童Kumanjayi Little Baby的案件中存在"广泛失职"1。该女童于4月从Alice Springs Old Timers营地遭指控被绑架，5天后其尸体被发现1。现年47岁的Jefferson Lewis因谋杀罪被控，案件待审判1。

由前新南威尔士州警察专员Karen Webb和公务员Greg Shanahan主持的审查指出，北领地儿童保护部门在6年间收到了14项关于该女童遭受家庭暴力的通知，但尽管暴力模式不断升级，该部门从未进行过家庭暴力风险评估1。审查提出了45项建议，北领地政府已全部接受1。报告认为北领地儿童保护部门需要"系统范围的重置"1。北领地政府已于7月通过新法律，明确规定安全是儿童福利决策的首要优先事项1。

An independent review of the Northern Territory's child protection services has uncovered systemic failures in the case of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, who was abducted from Alice Springs Old Timers camp in April and found dead five days later 1. The inquiry, conducted by former NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and public servant Greg Shanahan, revealed that the child protection department received 14 notifications of domestic violence involving the girl over a six-year period, yet never conducted a family violence risk assessment despite escalating patterns of abuse 1. The review has put forward 45 recommendations, all of which the Northern Territory government has committed to implementing 1.

Jefferson Lewis, 47, faces murder charges and is awaiting trial 1. According to the review's findings, the Northern Territory child protection department requires a "system-wide reset" to transition from a reactive approach to a more proactive one 1. In response to these concerns, the Northern Territory government passed new legislation in July that explicitly prioritizes child safety as the primary consideration in child welfare decision-making 1. The government has pledged to undertake "considerable structural reform" in light of the review's findings 1.