Date published: 17 June 2026
Statement from Queensland Family and Child Commission Principal Commissioner and Chair of the Child Death Review Board Luke Twyford
“I welcome yesterday’s announcement by the Attorney-General outlining the Queensland Government's response to In Plain Sight: Review into System Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“The reforms announced represent the most significant strengthening of Queensland's child safeguarding system in a generation and respond directly to evidence that child sexual abuse remains one of the most serious threats facing Australian children.
"In Plain Sight showed us that child sexual abuse is not a rare event; it is widespread, persistent and often hidden in plain sight.
"The review found that one in four children have experienced, or will experience, child sexual abuse unless something changes.
"It also found that a new offender was being identified in the media every 2.3 days and that, in our case study of a high-profile offender, there were 18 missed opportunities to identify their offending earlier.
"This tells us that abuse can be prevented if systems are better connected, information is shared earlier and risks are identified before children are harmed.
“The government's response marks a shift from a system focused primarily on responding to abuse after it occurs to one designed to detect threats earlier and prevent harm.
"This is important because it addresses a fundamental weakness identified by my review: no single organisation has responsibility for bringing together information about emerging threats to children.
“When information remains siloed and responses are fragmented, children remain at risk and families remain unsupported.
"These reforms establish clear leadership, stronger accountability and, for the first time, a dedicated intelligence capability focused on identifying risks before they escalate into criminal offending.
“Importantly, they have the potential to transform how Queensland identifies and manages risks to children.
"For too long, critical information has sat in separate systems, agencies and organisations.
"Our review found that the offender often came to the attention of multiple organisations, but no one could see the full picture.
"The new intelligence arrangements will help connect information, identify patterns of concerning behaviour and support earlier intervention before children are harmed.
"This is about ensuring that people who pose a risk to children cannot avoid scrutiny simply by moving between jobs, organisations or sectors.
"Once fully implemented, these reforms will position Queensland as the national leader in child safeguarding, establishing one of the most advanced prevention and threat-detection systems anywhere in Australia.
"This is not simply an organisational reform. It is the creation of a new safeguarding architecture for Queensland—one designed to identify threats earlier, share intelligence more effectively and prevent children from being harmed.
“They recognise that effective child protection requires more than responding to allegations after abuse has occurred.
"The safest communities are not those that respond after a child has been harmed. They are those that identify threats early and prevent harm from occurring in the first place.
“I want to especially thank and acknowledge the victim-survivors and their families—both those who contributed to the review and others. No government announcement can right the wrongs you have experienced, but I hope the changes Queensland has committed to play a role in your journey toward healing.
“I want to thank the practitioners and organisations who contributed to the review, and I acknowledge the government's commitment to implementing the recommendations.
"Every child has the right to be safe. Yesterday’s announcement represents a significant step towards a Queensland where risks are identified earlier, information is better connected, and children are better protected from harm."
Background
Key reforms announced yesterday include:
- the establishment of a Queensland Protection Commission
- the integration of worker screening and reportable conduct functions
- the creation of a Child Safeguarding Intelligence Hub
- a new Child Safeguarding Intelligence Network to support proactive information sharing across government agencies.
For media information contact:
Queensland Family and Child Commission Media team
Phone: 0423 565 108
Email: media@qfcc.qld.gov.au