Young girls at a state-run youth centre in Victoria were given a contraceptive injection 20 years before it was approved for general use in Australia.

The child abuse royal commission heard staff from Winlaton Youth Training Centre administered girls the contraceptive Depo Provera in the 1970s.

At the time its use was restricted to research and development.

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Counsel assisting the royal commission Dr Peggy Dwyer said Depo Provera was not released to the public until the 1990s.

Former Winlaton deputy superintendent Marilyn Minister said she was not directly involved in the decision to use Depo Provera.

She said the centre’s management and medical staff obtained advice from many experts.

“I remember reading some documents of the advice that we obtained, that it was appropriate to use in the circumstances of the young people at Winlaton,” Ms Minister told the commission on Monday.

Ms Minister said she did not have any concerns now that Depo Provera was administered at Winlaton at a time its use was restricted to research and development.

“Not really, no, because I’m not aware of any adverse consequences, and it could be that some unwanted pregnancies were prevented, so there’s positives and negatives that can be thought about that issue.”

She said she remembered being told the drug was administered in over 80 countries, at the time.

The inquest also heard an extensive consent form was required by the centre, however the commission found no evidence of the forms.

Former Winlaton residents told the royal commission they were subjected to intrusive medical examinations when returning from time away from the centre.

Ms Minister said she did not remember that happened while she was at the centre from 1974 to 1992.

She agreed if it did happen, it would be inappropriate.

Ms Minister also apologised for allowing a man who had raped his daughter to visit the girl at Winlaton in 1979.

“Having thought about this a lot, I believe that in giving permission for the father to visit BGD at Winlaton I probably made a mistake and I admit that and I apologise for that mistake,” she said.

Asked why she did not report the incest to police, Ms Minister said incest cases in the 1970s and 80s were generally dealt with more as a family problem than a criminal issue.

– with AAP