Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts is an Australian lawyer and indigenous activist.[1][2][3] She served as the ACT's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner from 2023[4][5] until her resignation in early 2026.[6] She is the recipient of the 2019 Australian Human Rights medal.[7]

Career

Turnbull-Roberts was appointed to serve as commissioner for children in the Australia Capital Territory in 2023.[4] In the following year, she published an autobiographical book about her childhood experiences, including what she described as her "kidnapping" by case workers.[2][8][9] She has described Australian child welfare agencies as "the professional kidnapping industry".[10]

In a February 2025 ACT legislative assembly hearing, she stated that "We are seeing horrific issues of child sexual exploitation in the territory, such as being sexually trafficked from one jurisdiction to another." After being asked by legislative assembly member Chiaka Barry if she had reported such cases, she said "Yes, absolutely. I am, obviously, a mandatory reporter." A year later, ACT Policing stated that they had never received any report from Turnbull-Ropberts or her office. The ACT government also stated that "there ha[d] been no formal complaint regarding child sex trafficking from" her since she took office in 2024.[10][11]

Turnbull-Roberts left her office in late 2025, after a six-month leave. During that time, some news stories reported that community members had complained of a "persistent absenteeism" of her office, and that staff members were leaving due to "leadership issues". Other complaints stated that she had bolstered her personal reputation at the cost of aiding the community. She stated in February 2026 that those complaints are "incorrect and harmful", and that she had left her office after being sexually assaulted. She said that "No one leaves work of this significance without reason."[12][13][14][6]

Personal life

Turnbull-Roberts is married to rugby player Ellia Green. They had a daughter in 2022, and Green later came out as a transgender man.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, Hannah (2018-11-13). "These Aboriginal Women Say A New Adoption Law Will Lead To Another Stolen Generation". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  2. 1 2 Hunt, Allanah (2024-11-05). "Vanessa was 'kidnapped' by the family policing system aged 10. Now, she's fighting for other First Nations families". The Conversation. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  3. ↑ Galea, Maeve (2024-11-13). "Changemaker Of The Year Winner: Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts". marie claire. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  4. 1 2 Morse, Callan (2023-11-10). "Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts appointed ACT's inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  5. ↑ "New role to empower First Nations children and their families". Law Society Journal. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  6. 1 2 "Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts alleges workplace sexual assault during ACT Commissioner tenure". News.com.au.
  7. ↑ "Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts | Penn Program on Race, Science & Society". prss.sas.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts pens 'Long Yarn Short': A story of survival and a scathing look at the systems tearing families apart | Missing Perspectives". 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  9. ↑ Brennan, Dechlan (2024-10-22). "A searing indictment of family policing and child removals, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts' memoir is essential reading". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  10. 1 2 "A year on from Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts' sex trafficking claim, police say they've heard nothing". The Australian.
  11. ↑ "Ex-commissioner defends claims of child sex trafficking in Canberra". www.canberratimes.com.au. 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  12. ↑ "Newest ACT commissioner resigns after complaints about 'absenteeism'". Canberra Times. 2026-01-28. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
  13. ↑ "'Personal reasons': minister grilled over ACT Commissioner's unexpected resignation". www.canberratimes.com.au. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  14. ↑ "Former ACT Commissioner claims sexual harassment, assault, led to her resignation". Region.
  15. ↑ "Olympian Ellia Green Returns to Rugby Post-Transition: 'It's About Being Unapologetically Me'". gayexpress. 2025-06-23. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
  16. ↑ AP (2022-08-16). "Olympic Rugby Gold Medalist Transitions To Male And Finds It 'Liberating'". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
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