Orphanage Sex Claims Denied, by Miles Kemp, Adelaide Now, May 19, 2008

Orphanage Sex Claims Denied

By Miles Kemp
Adelaide Now
May 19, 2008

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23726833-2682,00.html

TWO campaigners against abuse at the Goodwood Orphanage have accused alleged rape victims of faking testimony to the Mullighan Inquiry to get compensation.

Both women told The Advertiser that after reading the Mullighan Inquiry report tabled in State Parliament last month, they felt compelled to defend the "cruel" nuns who beat and mentally tortured them against false claims of sex abuse.

Pat Carlson and Barbara Read have led the charge against the Catholic Church's management of the former orphanage, but now accuse up to 13 of their fellow-witnesses at the inquiry of faking claims of sex abuse by nuns and church workers.

The two women are principals in a class action against the church and maintain the nuns physically, mentally and spiritually abused the children.

Barbara Read and Pat Carlson at the Goodwood Orphanage.

"No, no, I won't have it this (sex abuse) did not happen," an emotional Mrs Read told The Advertiser today.

"I am disgusted, it makes what we have been trying to do (the campaign against the church) all these years wrong."

The women's claims have cast a shadow over the report by retired judge Ted Mullighan, QC, which is to form the basis of the Government's compensation and response to children abused in state care.

Inquiry witnesses, whose names have been kept secret by the inquiry, cited five instances of sex abuse or rape outside the orphanage grounds, and on the grounds four instances by nuns, three by priests and six by girls or church workers.

Mrs Read has told the office of Minister for Families Jay Weatherill that she wants the inquiry, set up in 2004 to investigate allegations of sex abuse and deaths in all state care, to be re-opened to question the allegations.

The lawyer for 33 victims of the Goodwood Orphanage including Mrs Read and Mrs Carlson who sued the Catholic Church, Peter Humphries, said none of his clients alleges sex abuse by nuns at the institution.

Mr Humphries, of Duncan Basheer Hannon, said he had never heard such allegations since joining the campaign for compensation in 2003.

Justice Mullighan, who is retired, was unavailable for comment today.

Mr Weatherill is on leave and a spokeswoman for acting Minister for Families Paul Caica said he had confidence in the "inquiry process".

Mrs Carlson, who is co-ordinator of the Former British Child Migrants group, has been a respected advocate for child migrants for two decades, her life since being brought to Adelaide in 1949 at the age of 15 has been the subject of novels, non-fiction books and television shows.

Mrs Carlson said since the campaign against Goodwood Orphanage abuse began in the late 1980s there had been no evidence of rape or sexual abuse by nuns.

Nor have allegations been raised despite the orphanage's being examined by a House of Commons inquiry in the United Kingdom, a Senate inquiry in Australia in 2001, numerous oral histories held in the State Library of South Australia, and a best-selling book's being written about it.

Mrs Carlson was at the orphanage from 1949 until 1951 and Mrs Read from 1953 until 1958, during which time many of the alleged rapes happened. "The basis of this is that we have all told the truth (to the inquiry) and these women are not during the time we were there for about 10 years none of us saw or heard about any sexual abuse by nuns," she said.

Mrs Read is also now defending her former abusers, saying while they beat "without mercy" and emotionally abused the children in their care, allegations of sex abuse are "lies" made up to get compensation from the church.

"I have been so angry all my life with the nuns for what they did to us, for the brutality, psychological abuse and spiritual abuse, now I find I am defending them," she said. "I know one of the women and everything that has come out of her mouth is a lie." Mrs Read, who began her campaign 11 years ago, said most unbelievable were allegations that girls were assaulted in the dormitory by nuns in front of other girls.

"There were 48 girls on that dormitory, how did 47 others not see it," she said.

"The Church has brought up the dollar signs and suddenly there was all this sex abuse at the orphanage."

She said the only long-term workers at the orphanage at the time some of women alleged they were assaulted by workers were a handyman, gardener and a priest who were very sympathetic to the plight of the girls.

Mrs Read also said evidence given to the inquiry that men were allowed to wander through the orphanage seeking sex was false and this would never have been allowed by the strict nuns. Mrs Carlson has given evidence over 18 years to three inquiries that she was stripped naked by nuns and belted in front of other girls.

Mrs Read has given evidence at two inquiries over eight years of incessant beatings inflicted by two nuns, a food shortage and freezing conditions.