Leonie Wood; 7/6/08
The Australian Crime Commission’s taskforce investigating sexual abuse in indigenous communities is fighting a landmark court battle against a Northern Territory health clinic over its refusal to give up private medical records of several children. It is believed to be the first serious challenge to the ACC’s National Indigenous Violence and Child Abuse Intelligence Taskforce, which has coercive powers to obtain details about the incidence of child abuse, neglect and violence in remote communities. The clinic, which the Federal Court has ordered cannot be named, claims the ACC is demanding sensitive information about children aged under 16 years who had sought advice about contraception but who it believes had not been sexually abused.
Tags: Aboriginal, Australia, health, Sex Trade