4 more foster home staff suspended over alleged abuse

The child welfare organisation that runs a foster home at the centre of abuse allegations says it has suspended four more staff who are suspected of misconduct.

The Society for the Protection of Children said on Tuesday that a review of CCTV footage found that four employees of the Children’s Residential Home, which is housed in the society’s headquarters in Prince Edward, might have used corporal punishment against toddlers.

The society’s director Susan So said the police have been notified, and the society is expanding a task force it set up to look into the alleged incident.

“At this stage, a lot of things still need to be investigated,” she said.

“That’s why we formed a special task force, and we are going to step it up to involve board members and outsider independent members.”

She said the task force is now reviewing footage recorded by nearly 900 security cameras at the society’s headquarters and 29 centres around town in the past month, and a child care supervisor will conduct regular and surprise checks at the residential home.

The police arrested three staff members of the Children’s Residential Home last week. Two of them have been charged with assault by those in charge of child or young person, and the third suspect was freed on bail.