A mother has alleged that her two-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by a worker at a Victorian childcare centre, but the educator remains employed and has not been charged due to a lack of witnesses or CCTV footage.
The mother, identified as Angela, told Guardian Australia that her daughter Emily disclosed the alleged offences in mid-December, naming the educator and stating the incidents occurred during nappy changes. Angela contacted Victoria Police’s sexual offences and child abuse investigation team, who advised her to seek a medical assessment.
A doctor’s examination and referral to a paediatrician followed, with clinical notes recording Emily’s disclosure. Police attempted to obtain a statement from the child but were unsuccessful, and later advised Angela that a magistrate would likely not consider Emily a credible witness. Angela was then told to report the allegations to the childcare centre.
The centre suspended the educator temporarily and launched an internal investigation, while the state education department conducted a separate inquiry. Both investigations reviewed medical notes, a social worker’s letter documenting behavioural symptoms consistent with sexual assault, and Angela’s detailed statements. Despite this, both concluded the allegations were “unsubstantiated” due to insufficient evidence, citing the need for corroborating evidence such as CCTV or a witness.
Angela expressed frustration, questioning how a child’s disclosure, medical corroboration, and a PTSD diagnosis could be deemed insufficient. The educator, who has not been charged, also faced a separate allegation of improper non-sexual treatment, but its outcome was not disclosed. Surveillance cameras are not mandatory in Victorian childcare centres, and no witness was present during the alleged incidents.
