Issued at: 16:00 CST

CATS team community visits -Alice Springs

Two more Central Australian Aboriginal communities have been visited by a combined Child Abuse Taskforce as part of an on-going education program.

The program was initiated by police to bring sexual abuse education programs out to remote communities. Earlier this year the team went to the remote community of Utopia to conduct the first in a series of such programs.

Detective Sergeant Carmen Butcher heads the NT Police Child Abuse Task Force. Det Butcher said the pilot program at Utopia was so well-received it was decided to extend the visits to as many other remote communities as possible.

The team consists of members of the Child Abuse Taskforce, (Southern), Mobile Outreach Service workers, and members of the Department of Health's Families and Children's Service.

"Education Department staff and staff from the various community councils help us set up the visits and help to facilitate the program once we're on the community., "Det Butcher said.

"Last week the team went to Imanpa and Mutitjulu communities and conducted information sessions on child abuse and domestic violence over a two-day period. At Imanpa we conducted Protective Behaviours sessions with the school children at Imanpa school and then members attended the council office where a session was conducted with the women of the community concerning issues of child abuse, age of consent, mandatory reporting and domestic violence.

"A similar session was conducted with the men at the Community Centre.

"Then the next day members attended Mutitjulu Community where similar sessions were held.

"The sessions were extremely well received and it was particularly good to see how many adults in the communities took part," Det Butcher said.

"We also received very good support from health workers and teachers at the communities."

"With the team going out to the remote communities we've found that often people will take the opportunity to talk to us about these issues while we're there, and in a non-threatening environment, so not only are we able to educate, but we often find we get information as well. We're also finding community members are developing increasing trust in police through these visits."

Preparations are already under way for further community education visits before the end of the year.



Media contact:
Theresa Kuilboer
8951 8825