Last Updated on August 18, 2020
In a disturbing revelation, Australian authorities have arrogated themselves the power to remove children from the care of their parents over coronavirus fears as the country is forced to levelling degrees of lockdown, depending on the state.
The act which was proposed as a temporary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in what has been considered an emergency.
According to the Australian Christian outlet Caldron Pool:
Schedule 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 lists temporary modifications of particular State Laws. Under Part 1, amendments to the Emergency Response Act 2004 are outlined.
The Emergency Response Act 2004 is enacted to “establish strategies and systems for management of emergencies in the State; and for other purposes.”
Section 24-26, which is classified as Division 4 of the Act, lists the powers that may be executed in relation to “declared emergencies.”
Under Section 24A, an emergency is defined as the following:
“An emergency may be declared to be an identified major incident, a major emergency or a disaster whether or not the emergency has previously been declared to be a public health incident or a public health emergency under the South Australian Public Health Act 2011.”
Section 25 of the act has drawn negative attention for the power to remove children from the care of their parents or guardian.
—Removal of children
(1) Without derogating from section 25, an authorised officer may, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with any direction under that section, remove a child from any premises, place, vehicle or vessel to a place of residence of the child or to a hospital or quarantine facility, as the authorised officer thinks fit (and may, in doing so, use such force as is reasonably necessary).
The following section then goes onto cover who qualifies as a child–and potential removal–in the legislation.
(2) In this section—
child means a person under 18 years of age; place of residence includes, in the case of a child who is in the custody, or under the guardianship, of the Chief Executive under the Children and Young People (Safety)
Wow, Australia. That's next level. pic.twitter.com/c0gb8YxPed
— The Higherside Chats Podcast (@HighersideChats) August 16, 2020
Australia has been criticized for its heavy-handed approach in attempting to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier this month, National File reported on a shocking video where a police officer choked a 21-year-old woman during a messy arrest after she failed to wear a face mask in Melbourne.
Police also shot through the car window of a driver who was allegedly breaching coronavirus curfew and driving away from officers when the driver was approached for questioning.
Parents appear to be losing control over their children’s custody on a global level. A transgender teenager was taken away from her parents’ care after they refused to grant her a physical gender transition.
