The Yoorrook Justice Commission heard on Thursday racism has persisted in Victoria's child protection system, with First Nations children and families continuing to be over-represented.
Victorian government ministers, senior bureaucrats, and the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police have begun facing questions from the Yoorrook Justice Commission this week.
The hearings began with Department of Families, Fairness and Housing acting secretary Argiri Alisandratos being questioned about the impacts child protection in Victoria has had on First Nations people.
Mr Alisandratos acknowledged the over-representation of First People in the Victorian child protection system and admitted more needed to be done.
When Commissioner Kevin Bell asked if his vision to minimise First Nations children in the child protection system was the same vision in respect to all children, Mr Alisandratos admitted First Peoples faced different experiences because of colonial trauma which needed to be considered.
"I think because of the history that we've had in relation to First Peoples experiences in this state and beyond I think there is a greater emphasis and a greater gravity of concern about how we more effectively support First Peoples to overcome the history of trauma they've experienced," Mr Alisandratos said.
"On one level yes it is. However in this environment, there is even greater onus on all of us to collectively assist First Peoples overcome their trauma experiences."
Commissioner Bell also asked Mr Alisandratos whether the high levels of child removal in Aboriginal families is an indication of bias.
"Doesn't the fact that we have shamefully high levels of child removal from Aboriginal families suggest that there is a continuing and pressing problem of racism in the system, that your present system simply failed to prevent?" Commissioner Bell asked.
Mr Alisandratos said this is a possibility.
"I think we definitely have to contemplate that is one driver, one significant diver, and that racism exists right across our system and I mean the broader system," he said.
"Because children's pathway into child protection is a product of judgements that have been made by community members, by other professionals and then Child Protection being at the statutory tertiary end, is the recipient of those concerns."
Since 2016, the rate of First Nations children in the Victorian child protection system has increased 43 per cent.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews called the over-representation of First Peoples in the criminal justice and protection systems a "source of great shame" in a letter to the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
"The Victorian government has reflected on the discrimination and mistreatment that First Nations peoples can often endure in the criminal justice and child protection systems," he said in a written submission.
"These injustices are not confined to history - they persist to this day.
"The ongoing over-representation of First Peoples in the criminal justice and child protection systems is a source of great shame for the Victorian government."
Mr Andrews said the state government was committed to ensuring these issues were confronted head on.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission hearings commence today.
