Exclusive: Young worker claims she was told not to report juvenile delinquency

A youth care worker in Townsville claimed that the Queensland Department of Children told her not to report crimes committed by young people under care. Sky News concealed Monica’s identity, but confirmed that she was a young caregiver at the Townsville Nursing Home. Nursing homes can accommodate up to six children in one property and are supervised by staff in shifts. “If we know of a child or suspect that a child has committed a crime, we will ask our management to notify the department,” Monica told Sky News. “Then the department will tell us how to respond, and many times they tell us not to call the police. “When talking to the after-hours child safety department, this is a service provided to emergency services or nursing staff in the state after get off work if We need to call the child safety department to report anything, and they have instructed us not to report breaches of bail and curfew. “The Ministry of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs refuted some claims and issued a statement to Sky News in response. The statement read: “If significant damage or assault is caused to staff or other young people, it will be reported to Police report. “The department did not instruct young workers of residential care providers not to report breaches of bail. “Townsville is in the midst of a youth crime crisis. Cities in the region have recorded more than 3,000 break-ins in the past year, many of them by children.