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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/30/cape-york-sex-abuse-author-of-leaked-report-takes-aim-at-tabloid-self-interest
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| Cape York sex abuse: author of leaked report takes aim at 'tabloid self-interest' | Cape York sex abuse: author of leaked report takes aim at 'tabloid self-interest' |
| (3 months later) | |
| The author of a report detailing high levels of sexual abuse in far north Queensland has accused the media of jeopardising efforts to address the problem by naming the Indigenous communities involved. | The author of a report detailing high levels of sexual abuse in far north Queensland has accused the media of jeopardising efforts to address the problem by naming the Indigenous communities involved. |
| The report by the Griffith Youth Forensic Service was commissioned by the Queensland government and came with a recommendation that it not be publicly released, as to do so would stigmatise the small communities identified and threaten reforms. | The report by the Griffith Youth Forensic Service was commissioned by the Queensland government and came with a recommendation that it not be publicly released, as to do so would stigmatise the small communities identified and threaten reforms. |
| But stories about the report naming those small communities subsequently appeared in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail and the Australian. The Australian’s front-page headline read: Sex abuse epidemic hits Cape. | But stories about the report naming those small communities subsequently appeared in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail and the Australian. The Australian’s front-page headline read: Sex abuse epidemic hits Cape. |
| Stephen Smallbone, professor in Griffith University’s school of criminology and criminal justice and director of Griffith Youth Forensic Service, authored the report. He told Guardian Australia on Monday he was “ropable” over the news reports, labelling them “tabloid self-interest”. | Stephen Smallbone, professor in Griffith University’s school of criminology and criminal justice and director of Griffith Youth Forensic Service, authored the report. He told Guardian Australia on Monday he was “ropable” over the news reports, labelling them “tabloid self-interest”. |
| Smallbone took particular aim at the Courier-Mail and on Monday wrote an op ed criticising its actions. | Smallbone took particular aim at the Courier-Mail and on Monday wrote an op ed criticising its actions. |
| The Brisbane newspaper ran an article last Monday carrying details from the leaked report and reported on it again on Wednesday, interviewing residents of one of two identified areas and quoting one woman as describing her community as a “human zoo”. | |
| “That’s the day that media started naming communities,” Smallbone said. “I’m still not naming them, or confirming the place names at all. The reason for me is that we’ve made commitment to people on the ground not to identify them and I’m sticking to it.” | “That’s the day that media started naming communities,” Smallbone said. “I’m still not naming them, or confirming the place names at all. The reason for me is that we’ve made commitment to people on the ground not to identify them and I’m sticking to it.” |
| On 27 June the mayor of one community pleaded with the Newman government not to release the report, telling the Courier-Mail it would “risk individual and family identities, which would be highly irresponsible and betray the people who have shared their personal experiences”. | On 27 June the mayor of one community pleaded with the Newman government not to release the report, telling the Courier-Mail it would “risk individual and family identities, which would be highly irresponsible and betray the people who have shared their personal experiences”. |
| The next day the Australian reported on a snapshot of data from the report detailing extremely high levels of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy in one Cape York community, which it named. | The next day the Australian reported on a snapshot of data from the report detailing extremely high levels of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy in one Cape York community, which it named. |
| Cape York has been the site of a dramatic welfare reform trial since 2008, tackling declining social and economic conditions. Its measures include management of welfare payments. There are also limits or total bans on alcohol. | Cape York has been the site of a dramatic welfare reform trial since 2008, tackling declining social and economic conditions. Its measures include management of welfare payments. There are also limits or total bans on alcohol. |
| Smallbone said by publicising statistics about as small a community as the Cape York one, as the Australian did, individuals could be identified. | Smallbone said by publicising statistics about as small a community as the Cape York one, as the Australian did, individuals could be identified. |
| “Then you give them all the more reason not to do anything about it, because doing something about it is painful,” he said. “That means talking to people, allowing people to see it. That has to happen in a private way otherwise it won’t happen at all.” | “Then you give them all the more reason not to do anything about it, because doing something about it is painful,” he said. “That means talking to people, allowing people to see it. That has to happen in a private way otherwise it won’t happen at all.” |
| The editor of the Australian, Clive Mathieson, told Guardian Australia that the paper had considered the decision to publish details of the report and identify the community “very carefully”. | The editor of the Australian, Clive Mathieson, told Guardian Australia that the paper had considered the decision to publish details of the report and identify the community “very carefully”. |
| He said in a statement: | He said in a statement: |
| The Australian covers Indigenous Australia more than many other media outlet and we have a long history of approaching such issues with sensitivity and a clear understanding of the ramifications of our reporting. | The Australian covers Indigenous Australia more than many other media outlet and we have a long history of approaching such issues with sensitivity and a clear understanding of the ramifications of our reporting. |
| Michael McKenna spoke to many people involved in the Cape York communities before we published the article on Saturday. While acknowledging Professor Smallbone's belief that the report should remain secret, the vast majority of those people, including local Wik leader Bruce Martin, were of the view that the report should be made public. | Michael McKenna spoke to many people involved in the Cape York communities before we published the article on Saturday. While acknowledging Professor Smallbone's belief that the report should remain secret, the vast majority of those people, including local Wik leader Bruce Martin, were of the view that the report should be made public. |
| This is what the Australian has done for decades; shine a light on difficult subjects in the hope of acting as a catalyst for real and positive change." | This is what the Australian has done for decades; shine a light on difficult subjects in the hope of acting as a catalyst for real and positive change." |
| Despite the Australian’s article including comments from some Indigenous leaders and anti-child abuse campaigners calling for the report’s publication, Smallbone maintained that the naming threatened the work of people trying to address the issues. | Despite the Australian’s article including comments from some Indigenous leaders and anti-child abuse campaigners calling for the report’s publication, Smallbone maintained that the naming threatened the work of people trying to address the issues. |
| The federally funded “bottom-up” work of Smallbone’s team offered practical help as well as research, he told Guardian Australia, and adapted to local needs and contexts. | The federally funded “bottom-up” work of Smallbone’s team offered practical help as well as research, he told Guardian Australia, and adapted to local needs and contexts. |
| The funding of $2m over three years covers some full-time staff as well as two crime prevention experts from University College London and a sexual abuse prevention expert from Britain’s Lucy Faithfull Foundation. | The funding of $2m over three years covers some full-time staff as well as two crime prevention experts from University College London and a sexual abuse prevention expert from Britain’s Lucy Faithfull Foundation. |
| “We recognise that the responses to complex social problems have to take account of context,” he said. “It’s not a single program that we’re trialling, it’s a matter of working place to place and seeing what works better in the context. | “We recognise that the responses to complex social problems have to take account of context,” he said. “It’s not a single program that we’re trialling, it’s a matter of working place to place and seeing what works better in the context. |
| For this reason, he said, personal relationships were vital, and had been jeopardised by the leaked report. | For this reason, he said, personal relationships were vital, and had been jeopardised by the leaked report. |
| “Who in these communities is going to talk to people like me and my team – and others – about these kinds of things on the basis that somebody is going to leak it to the Courier-Mail or the Australian, and they’re going to get all this kind of unpleasant attention. | “Who in these communities is going to talk to people like me and my team – and others – about these kinds of things on the basis that somebody is going to leak it to the Courier-Mail or the Australian, and they’re going to get all this kind of unpleasant attention. |
| This raking over the report to find the most salacious details, to gratify the newspaper’s self-interest – that’s what is going on. It’s all about tabloid self-interest. It’s got nothing to do with children or their safety or the problem of sexual violence.” | This raking over the report to find the most salacious details, to gratify the newspaper’s self-interest – that’s what is going on. It’s all about tabloid self-interest. It’s got nothing to do with children or their safety or the problem of sexual violence.” |
| Smallbone said it was too early to tell if the news reports had caused any negative effect, but his team were working to find out. | Smallbone said it was too early to tell if the news reports had caused any negative effect, but his team were working to find out. |
| “It might in fact happen in the opposite direction, maybe people will pull together a bit more over it, but maybe not. There really is the risk of people withdrawing their collaboration, and I think that’s a really understandable thing people would do.” | “It might in fact happen in the opposite direction, maybe people will pull together a bit more over it, but maybe not. There really is the risk of people withdrawing their collaboration, and I think that’s a really understandable thing people would do.” |
| The Courier-Mail was contacted for comment. | The Courier-Mail was contacted for comment. |