Should men be banned from childcare work?
Share this @internewscast.com

There are calls for men to be banned from working in childcare centres after allegations of sexual assault and child rape were levelled at ex-sector employee Joshua Brown in Melbourne.

Brown has been charged with 70 offences and the case remains before the courts, while health authorities have urged the parents of 1200 children who may have been in care centres where Brown was employed, to have them tested for infectious disease.

Police said Brown worked at 20 childcare centres over a number of years, though the charges relate to eight alleged victims at a single centre.

Louise Edmonds on Today. (Today)

Louise Edmonds, founder of the Independent Collective of Survivors, said banning men from the childcare sector was an “extreme” position, but that the safety of children, many of them too young to speak, should be the priority.

“Without, you know, staining all the good men who are in there wanting to be positive role models for the young boys who are in daycare centres, there are some measures that can be taken place,” Edmonds told Today.

“We actually have to look at the safety first and foremost of our most vulnerable citizens, which are our children, and a lot of them are voiceless.”

Joshua Brown had worked at a number of childcare centres across Melbourne, police said. (Supplied)
Edmonds said the vast majority of child sex offenders were men. A study published by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that women made up just 1.7 per cent of child sex offenders, though the author cautioned the figures may be unreliable due to such offending often going unreported.

Edmonds said there could be measures put in place “overnight” in daycare centres to help protect children, including an intimate care waiver.

“All daycare centres can literally say to the parent, do you opt in or do you opt out at this very moment to actually have a male carer look after your child?” Edmonds said.

The murder theory at the heart of iconic rock star’s legacy

She also advocated for the use of cameras to cover “blind spots”.

“It takes seconds to abuse a child. I’m sorry to say that, but this is the reality,” she said.

“But what we can do with the CCTV, it is linked to a third party child protection agency. It is a deterrent if you put it into the areas that are blind spots, like the sleeping quarters, the change tables and the toilets, and it is off-site.”

Edmonds suggested another option would be for men working in childcare to be moved out of “intimate areas”, while still interacting with the children in the play and outside areas.

“So it’s not removing them entirely, but it’s also safeguarding them to make sure that they’re all not thrown out with the bathwater,” she said.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Discovery: Coroner Uncovers Disturbing Living Conditions of Woman with MS

Authorities in Pittsburgh found 44-year-old Elizabeth Fike dead living in filth in…

Urgent Update: Discovery of Female Remains in Woods Intensifies Search Efforts for Missing Kada Scott

Authorities have reportedly uncovered human remains on Saturday during the ongoing investigation…

Police Report: Daughter Allegedly Kills Mother with Rock in Shocking Incident

Inset left to right: Lauren Spors (Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The…

Jared Fogle’s Surprising Prison Life: How the Former Subway Spokesman is Spending His Time Behind Bars

Jared Fogle, once the face of Subway, asserts that he was misled…

Louvre Museum Shuts Doors Due to Unprecedented Robbery Incident

The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is closed for the day after…

Tragic Incident in Wisconsin: Daughter Allegedly Uses Rock in Mother’s Fatal Attack

A tragic event unfolded in Wisconsin this week, as a local mother…

Gainesville Drama: Woman Arrested for Car Burglary Amidst Street Brawl

Staff Article GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours today, 21-year-old Ivette…

Shocking Incident: 5-Year-Old Left Alone on Street as Mom Shops at Target

Inset: Maureen O’Neill (Walton County Jail). Background: Walton County Sheriff’s Office (Google…

Police Report: Child, 9, Found in Hot Car After Day While Mother Worked

Background: The Galena Park plant on the 1200 block of Mayo Shell…

Levy County Incident: Gainesville Man Faces Arrest for Alleged Gun Threat

By Staff Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have detained William Leo King,…

Shocking Family Tragedy: Son Fatally Shoots Mother After Bedtime Dispute

Kevin Marin (Doña Ana County Detention Center). In a disturbing incident in…

Judge Condemns Trump’s Administration for Misleading Court Order Interpretation

President Donald Trump speaks before a lunch with Ukraine”s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…