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About the inquiry
Neither seen nor heard was tabled in the Victorian Parliament on 7 December 2016. It examined a sample of child death inquiries where children had experienced family violence. The inquiry identified a number of recurring problems and system failings. It also found that services commonly overlooked risks and underestimated the impact of family violence on children. Child victims were not engaged and given the support they needed to address their trauma.
Recommendations
The report made 13 recommendations to ensure that vulnerable children are at the centre of Victoria’s family violence response. These recommendations require:
- a dedicated focus on children’s unique needs in responding to family violence
- culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal children and families
- improved processes to identify and support children with multiple reports to Child Protection
- better practices to prevent, identify and respond to child sexual abuse.