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**Australian Officials Vow Stricter Childcare Laws After Abuse Allegations**

**Sydney, Australia** – In the wake of shocking allegations of child abuse at a Melbourne childcare center, Australian officials are promising to overhaul safety regulations in the childcare sector. The move follows the arrest of Joshua Dale Brown, 26, who has been charged with over 70 child sex offences, including rape, against eight victims aged between five months and two years.

Police investigations revealed the alleged abuses occurred at a childcare center in Melbourne’s western suburbs, with further inquiries underway regarding a second facility in the northwest. Authorities are also investigating Brown’s employment history, revealing he worked at 20 different childcare facilities between 2016 and May 2024.

Victorian health authorities have advised 1,200 children linked to the facilities where Brown worked to undergo infectious disease testing as a precaution.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced plans to expedite legislation that would strip funding from childcare centers failing to meet adequate safety standards. He also pledged to examine enhanced background checks for childcare workers. “Any Australian who heard the news from Victoria yesterday would be sickened by what they heard,” Clare stated.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced that in September a state register of childcare workers will be introduced and personal devices will be banned in childcare centers. Additionally, Allan’s government has initiated an “urgent review” to explore further safety improvements, including the potential installation of security cameras.

“We will adopt every recommendation of the review and implement them as quickly as possible,” Allan said.

This scandal comes less than a year after a similar case in Queensland, where Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing dozens of girls at childcare centers in Brisbane and Italy. This highlights the urgent need for stricter oversight and reinforces the gravity of the situation facing Australian childcare facilities.

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