Shining the Spotlight on Salvation Army Abuse

By Janet Fife-Yeomans
Telegraph
January 26, 2014

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/shining-the-spotlight-on-salvation-army-abuse/story-fni0cx12-1226810825660

THE shocking cover-up by the Salvation Army of the sexual and physical abuse of children at its boys' homes and orphanages will be investigated by the royal commission into child sex abuse starting tomorrow.

Orphans brought up in four of the organisation's 35 homes in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s will give evidence of their brutal treatment as officers and staff were moved around between the homes to hide the abuse.

Care Leavers Australia Network's Leonie Sheedy said yesterday that the organisation's motto should be "Shame on the Salvos" instead of "Thank God for the Salvos''.

"People will be shocked and they need to be shocked," Ms Sheedy, executive officer of CLAN, said. "This was an organisation that the government had said was suitable to look after children who had no one else because of war, death, poverty or their parents for other reasons could not look after them.

"But the boys, now adults, talk about them as hell holes."