Four Corners on ABC and ABC iview S64E39 – In a powerful follow up to her Logie-winning investigation, Adele Ferguson returns to Four Corners with Hunting Ground, a searing expose that reveals the true scale of sexual abuse in Australia’s childcare sector.
Drawing on over a year of reporting and newly obtained data, Ferguson shows the crisis is far worse than previously known, and far from over.
Despite government promises of reform after the first Four Corners investigation, Ferguson uncovers more than a hundred cases of alleged paedophiles who worked or are working in child care, enabled by systemic failures, weak oversight and a profit-driven industry.
The investigation reveals that abuse is not isolated, it is in fact endemic and urgently in need of national attention.
Using more than 200,000 pages of confidential documents, whistleblower testimony, police tipoffs and expert analysis, Hunting Ground exposes how predators exploit loopholes in a broken system. It lays bare how high staff turnover, poor training, and lax supervision have created a perfect storm for abuse and children are paying the price.
This is a story that can no longer be ignored.
Hunting Ground is a wake up call to parents, policymakers and the public: until we confront the deep-rooted failures within child care, predators will keep slipping through and find ways to prey on our children.
Hunting Ground is reported by Adele Ferguson and produced by Chris Gillett goes to air Monday 27 October at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. See more at abc.net.au/news and on ABC News social media platforms.
Media Release – ABC
TV Central ABC content HERE
Four Corners on ABC and ABC iview S64E39
