WA Minister Named in District Court Over Alleged Child Abuse Case from the 1980s

Don Punch, a government minister in Western Australia, has been identified in the District Court for his involvement in a decision made in the late 1980s regarding the welfare of young Dion Barber. At that time, the child was allegedly being sexually abused, yet Punch, who was then a supervisor at the state’s Department for Community Services, supported the return of Barber to his mother and stepfather's care, despite allegations against them.

During the court proceedings, Baron Joel Sheldrick, representing Barber, highlighted that this decision was made following a magistrate's ruling two weeks earlier, which deemed it likely that abuse had occurred and called for Barber to be made a ward of the state. Mr. Sheldrick emphasized the appalling nature of the subsequent events, stating the department acted without properly addressing the magistrate’s order or investigating the circumstances adequately.

The court learned that Barber remained in the purportedly abusive home for 25 days before being removed due to concerns raised by his mother. Mr. Sheldrick mentioned that Barber was ultimately placed under the care of his biological father, another unsafe placement, indicating that simple background checks could have revealed the dangers linked to this decision.

In a separate press engagement, Mr. Punch confirmed his role as a witness in the case, stressing that he would not comment on the ongoing proceedings but was willing to provide relevant information from events that occurred 37 years prior. The court hearings are scheduled to last over two weeks as this significant case unfolds.