A 15-year-old girl picked up a long glass shard from a shattered photograph frame and slashed her youth worker across the neck. But in sentencing her for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, a judge has found the girl was not the only one to blame. District Court Judge Martin Sides has found “significant moral culpability” on the part of the Sydney not-for-profit company providing the girl’s full-time care on behalf of the Minister for Family and Community Services. Run by former Wallaby Glen Ella, Guardian Youth Care has come under sustained scrutiny in recent months, facing accusations by the government of misappropriating nearly $20 million. The girl convicted of the wounding charge, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a history of mental illness including post-traumatic stress disorder.
