Health department ‘regrets’ family affected by accused Melbourne childcare paedophile having to test children for STIs twice

<p>Acknowledgement of ‘extreme distress’ amid fallout from Joshua Dale Brown charges comes as premier defends childcare safety review appointment</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/jul/04/victoria-daisy-hill-ebikes-anthony-albanese-sussan-ley-labor-coalition-politics-updates-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The Victorian health department has acknowledged the distress of a family forced to have their children tested twice for sexually transmitted infections after they attended a childcare centre where alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown had worked.</p><p>It comes as the state’s premier, Jacinta Allan, defends the appointment of Jay Weatherill to lead an urgent review into childcare safety in Victoria, accusing the opposition of “playing politics”.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/04/health-department-children-sti-tests-accused-melbourne-childcare-paedophile-jacinta-allan-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>