Report Reveals Failures in Child Protection System

A 12-year-old girl, referred to as WD, was charged with the murder of a 37-year-old woman in Melbourne but had her charges dropped due to the legal principle of doli incapax, which states that children under 13 cannot be criminally responsible for their actions. An investigation by Victoria's Commission for Children and Young People revealed significant systemic failures in WD's care, highlighting that she had been shuffled between 10 different placements in three years, at a cost of over $3 million. The report emphasized that WD had a history of trauma, an intellectual disability, and was sexually exploited while missing from care, with her case exposing profound deficiencies in the child protection system. Principal Commissioner Liana Buchanan noted that various agencies failed to effectively coordinate efforts to protect WD, leading to devastating consequences. The investigation also pointed out the need for urgent systemic reforms to better support vulnerable children, including better access to medical and psychological services. Overall, WD's experience exemplifies the tragic failings of systems meant to safeguard at-risk youth in Victoria.