Media Release - Operation Tusket Supplementary Report

A report on the actions the NSW Police Force has taken since the Commission’s Operation Tusket Final Report, to address issues with the administration of the NSW Child Protection Register.

Media Release

22.06.2021

LECC Report on actions taken to fix the NSW Child Protection Register

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is calling for changes to the law underpinning the NSW Child Protection Register in a new report tabled in Parliament today.

The report is the Commission’s second public report on its investigation into systemic problems with the NSW Police Force’s (NSWPF) administration of the Register. Its previous report revealed that since 2002 police had made over 700 errors in implementing the Register. Some of these errors had resulted in sex offenders being unmonitored in the community, and other people being wrongly convicted.  

This report reveals that the NSWPF has substantially improved its processes for identifying and preventing errors in the Register. It has implemented many of the Commission’s recommendations, including that it provide adequate staff to the Child Protection Registry, and upgrade electronic systems.

However, the Commission has found that a key cause of the errors in the Register has not been addressed. There are significant problems with the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 (NSW) (CPOR Act) which makes it very difficult to apply in practice. There is an urgent need for substantial changes to the CPOR Act.

The Commission has concluded that, unless the law is changed, it is inevitable that the NSWPF will continue to make errors in the administration of the Register.  

The New South Wales Child Protection Register: Operation Tusket Supplementary Report and fact sheets can be accessed on the Commission’s website here.

For media enquiries please contact 0425 317 535 or email media@lecc.nsw.gov.au.