John, who has an intellectual disability, was badly assaulted in his home town. Symbols were even carved into his head. John was in hospital for five days. Both John’s parents and his support worker spent a lot of time convincing John to give a statement to the police. He knew who had assaulted him and was able to provide a statement to the police but nothing has happened since as the police have said John is not a credible witness.251
Case Study
In 2009, a carer in a Queensland institution was found guilty of assault for tying a young boy with autism, to the toilet with a sheet and hitting him with a flyswatter around the head and back. Just over a year later, Queensland’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal gave the carer back her ‘blue card’ (authority to work with vulnerable people and children) with the tribunal member stating “There is no indication as to what effect these events had on the children, the subject of the offences, or on any other children in the facility”, and “it is a credit to her (the carer) that she wishes to continue performing that role.”252
