Indigenous Communities React to Sex Abuse Royal Commission

ABC News
July 12, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-12/indigenous-communities-react-to-sex-abuse-royal/4817718?section=nt

While the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse within Australian institutions has been welcomed by victims, lobby groups within indigenous communities believe that because of cultural and language barriers, as well as the tyranny of distance they may not get all the benefits that flow from it. The Tiwi islands, north of Darwin is one such place, where locals are still coming to terms with past allegations of sexual abuse in the catholic church.

The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse within Australian institutions has been welcomed by victims.

But lobby groups are warning it won't reach some Indigenous Australians because of cultural and language barriers, as well as the tyranny of distance.

Laetitia Lemke travelled to the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin, the home of a former Catholic mission, where locals are still coming to terms with past allegations of sexual abuse in the church.

LAETITA LEMKE: It's a case that's haunted the Tiwi Islands for two decades. In 1994, multiple claims of child sexual abuse were levelled at the principal of the local boys' school, Brother John Francis Hallett.

Marius Puruntatameri from the Tiwi Islands Shire Council says the allegations had a deep impact among residents.

MARIUS PURUNTATAMERI: It had a profound impact perhaps psychologically moreso to the children that may have been affected and perhaps the families who were going through that investigation.

LAETITA LEMKE: The Tiwi Islands have been strongly Catholic since missionaries came here in 1911. But in 1993 all was not well between the church and its parishioners. Serious claims were made about the principal of the local boys' school, Brother John Francis Hallett.

The initial police investigations came to nothing, but later Brother Hallett was moved to a Christian Brothers' school in Brisbane, and months after his departure, fresh claims were reported to the local priest on the Tiwi Islands.

Throughout the ordeal, Brother John Francis Hallett maintained his innocence. He was found guilty on two counts of gross indecency dating back to the '80s, but both were quashed on appeal.

Russell Goldflam, who's now the president of the Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory, followed the case at the time.

RUSSELL GOLDFLAM: Well the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions for essentially a very simple reason: the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Brother John Hallett had committed any offences.

LAETITA LEMKE: The court cited a possibility of concoction or contamination of witnesses from the tight-knit community and pointed to the failure of investigating police to get statements from eight witnesses who allegedly saw abuse.

RUSSELL GOLDFLAM: The court described this as astonishing, which is pretty severe criticism coming from Supreme Court judges. And if it's said that these acts occurred in the presence of eight witnesses and not one of those people comes along to court and says, "Yep, I saw it," then you can see why the court would have real concerns about being able to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the allegations were made out.

LAETITA LEMKE: Barry Puruntatameri, the president of the local council at the time, says confusion reigned.

BARRY PURUNTATAMERI: Tiwis, you know, we not that people that understand what's the European laws.

LAETITA LEMKE: So a very difficult system to navigate?

BARRY PURUNTATAMERI: It was - yeah, it was very difficult to navigate what's been happening.

LAETITA LEMKE: He says the allegations of abuse were handled badly and he wants the Royal Commission to investigate.

But the majority of people the ABC spoke to on the Tiwi Islands said they were reluctant to go back over the allegations through the Royal Commission. They declined to be interviewed, but said they invested a lot to get their children's stories heard in what they considered a foreign legal system and they feel that system let them down.

The Royal Commission is already hearing stories of child sexual abuse from Indigenous Australians across a range of institutions.

But Janette Dines, the chief executive officer of the commission, acknowledges getting information to communities is tough and that some people are unaware the commission even exists.

JANETTE DINES: And that's why we need all the help that we can both from Indigenous peak organisations - and we are working closely with, for example, with Congress at the national level to really make sure that we start to get the message across.

LAETITA LEMKE: The commission will spend this year touring major centres, with plans to go to remote communities next year. It's not yet known if the Tiwi Islands will be on their itinerary and the Tiwi community is still divided on whether the inquiry would be welcome.

SCOTT BEVAN: Laetitia Lemke reporting from the Tiwi Islands.