Maverick child protection advocate Professor Freda Briggs, who never stopped working to help vulnerable children, has died aged 85.
Last month, the highly-respected University of South Australia emeritus professor worked closely with The Weekly Online on an exclusive story exposing the growing issue of child-on-child sex abuse.
Intelligent, compassionate and indefatigable, Prof Briggs was known for speaking out and pressuring governments when she felt children were at risk. Originally a police officer in the UK, she moved to Australia in the 1970s and became deeply involved in child protection.
She had written numerous books and advised world-leading organisations, also helping to change laws, educate those who work with children and raising public awareness of child abuse.
Until her death on Wednesday, Prof Briggs showed no signs of slowing down. During the month that she was in contact with The Weekly Online, she returned from a trip to the UK, worked in Adelaide, went to Broome and Perth in WA, returned to Adelaide and flew to Indonesia, where she was advising government and education officials.
She told The Weekly Online by email that she was being “treated like the Queen” in Indonesia, although the travel had admittedly been a pain. She reportedly died on Wednesday evening after suffering a stroke on the return journey on Monday.
Later this month, Prof Briggs had been due to travel to a region where a four-year-old boy and other kindergarteners were allegedly sexually assaulted by another four-year-old.
She was looking forward to training teachers and social workers, before appearing alongside 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty at a separate event on domestic violence.
Prof Briggs was named Senior Australian of the Year in 2000. Her death is a huge loss to her family, friends, colleagues, victims and their families, child protection and education services – and, ultimately, vulnerable and voiceless children around the world, for whom she was a champion.
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