Paedophile's Former Colleague Didn't Believe Child Sexual Abuse Rumours, Royal Commission Hears

By Jamelle Wells
ABC News
September 19, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/colleague-didn27t-believe-abuse-rumours2c-commission-hears/4968042

Rumours that Steven Larkins had abused young boys circulated when he began work at Hunter Aboriginal Children's Service, but a former colleague says she believed they were "hogwash".

A former caseworker has told the royal commission into child sexual abuse that a child welfare agency was poorly staffed and she was given little training.

Former Hunter Aboriginal Children's Service (HACS) staff member Jacqualine Henderson today told the inquiry she had no prior experience as a caseworker with children when she went to work for the organisation in 1998.

Nevertheless she was put in charge of up to 12 children at a time.

Ms Henderson said she was not made aware of all the policies and procedures of HACS and sought advice from Department of Community Services (DOCS) staff on some matters.

She told the commission that when her second cousin Steven Larkins came to HACS to manage it in 2000, there was a rumour he had abused young boys in his previous job with the Scouts.

But she told the hearing she thought the rumour was "hogwash".

"I didn't believe it," she said.

Ms Henderson said when Larkins was confronted about the rumour he became agitated and angry, and threatened to sue for defamation.

The commission has previously heard Larkins was convicted of sexually abusing two boy scouts, and of possessing child pornography and falsifying documents.

Although he was reported to police and the Scouts in the 1990s, Larkins was not convicted until 2012.

The commission has been told Larkins was asked to resign from the Scouts instead of being sacked to avoid bad publicity for the organisation.

He falsified his Working With Children Check.

DOCS also gave him permission to have a 17-year-old-boy, who he was grooming for sex, live with him.

Today Ms Henderson burst into tears when she was asked how she felt about Larkins.

"He used me as a goddamn puppet," she said. "I don't want to see this happen to anyone else."

On Wednesday, current chief executive of the Department of Family and Community Services, formerly known as DOCS, Maree Walk said the procedures that let HACS staff have custody of children the way Larkins did has changed.

But she acknowledged some bureaucratic bungling enabled Larkins to keep his job.

HACS is in voluntary administration.