"Dear the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas,

I write to you again, as the principal petitioner of the Services and supports for survivors and communities impacted by systemic child sexual abuse Change.org petition (attached), initiated by the community group, Beaumaris And Surrounding Communities - CSA Survivors And Families. I note, since the petition’s creation on 1 February 2022, your predecessor as Minister for Health, the Hon. Martin Foley (my elected representative), and yourself, have chosen to never acknowledge, let alone respond to, countless emails I have sent, on behalf of our now 12,960 petitioners. Even after the petition was tabled in Victorian Parliament recently by Mr Stuart Grimley MP.

Given the upcoming state election, this community and our petitioners wish to have your response to the following questions, before they vote in November.

1. Given the government’s own, well documented support (refer to petition) for the implementation of ‘no wrong door’ as a principle core to underpinning accessible and effective health and care services in Victoria, I would like to meet with you to understand why the government failed to take any steps to do so, over many years?
2. We have been very grateful for the opportunities to participate in sector consultations conducted by the Australian Centre for Child Protection in July and August 2022 with individuals, advocates and agency representatives, related to the development of Minimum Practice Standards for specialist and community support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. This project is one initiative of the National Office for Child Safety which was established on 1 July 2018 in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission). The Royal Commission investigated and reported on how organisations responded to allegations and incidents of child sexual abuse. The Royal Commission identified what makes institutions safe for children and young people, and made recommendations for how to create cultures and practices that protect children.
   
   Given that “Wrap-around, no-wrong door services” (refer to attached Sector consultation summary report FINAL), are identified as a minimum, national practice standard for specialist and community support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, we would like to meet with you to talk about the Victorian government committing to the implementation of this principle, as an election promise. And if not, why not?
3. We are grateful that the Federal Government, and also the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia governments, all report the total number of recommendations their state has fully implemented of the Royal Commission’s recommendations they have agreed to act on, and the number in progress and yet to be progressed, with South Australia and Tasmania also detailing the status of each recommendation, creating accountability and transparency about progress or lack thereof implementing particular recommendations.
   
   We are all very grateful that Mr Stuart Grimley MP called on the Victorian government on 18 August 2022 to similarly be as transparent in their Royal Commission Reporting as these other State governments.
   
   “Reporting thematically allows for the production of reports which are accessible, and is consistent with the format of annual reports published by other states and territories” in correspondence (attached) received from Bill Kyriakopoulos, Deputy Secretary Service Delivery Reform, Coordination and Workplace Safety, is therefore not true.
   
   In a subsequent conversation with Ms Eve Stagoll, Director, NDIS and Commonwealth Royal Commissions at the Department of Justice and Community Safety in May 2022, Ms Stagoll informed us, that even if the government decided to make the status of each Royal Commission recommendation transparent to Victorians, it would definitely not happen before the election in November.
   
   Sexual assault recorded by police increased by 13% from 2020, with most victims of sexual assault were under 18 years of age at the date of incident (61%). The number of recorded victims of sexual assault increased in all states and territories except the Northern Territory, with the largest increases including Victoria (up 651 victims or 12%). Given significant barriers to disclosure and reporting of childhood sexual assault, these numbers are far less than the reality, especially for victim/survivors of historic crimes of sexual assault as a child.
   
   We would like to meet with you to talk about why Ms Stagoll specifically advised us that the Victorian government would definitely not make the status of each Royal Commission recommendation transparent to Victorians, prior to the election? Including not making the status of Recommendation 9.1, relevant to the implementation of ‘no wrong door’, transparent prior to the election?

 I, and our petitioners and other supporters, look forward to your response, thank you."

Thank you to ALL our Petitioners! We will let you know if, and what, response we receive.

And ask for your help if we continued to be ignored.