Allegations of abuse on children living in Victorian state care have skyrocketed as the state government awaits recommended changes to the troubled system.
Latest figures show 322 incidents of abuse, including 76 of a sexual nature, were reported within the state child protection and family services system from January to March.
The quarterly data takes the number of abuse reports to 1277 over the year to March, compared with 801 during the same span three years earlier – a rise of almost 60 per cent.
Some 2837 vulnerable children were also waiting for a case worker over the three-month period, including 906 in Victoria’s west, 818 in the south and 613 in the north….