Kerry Haggar, the wife of a Salvation Army child sex abuser apologised to the victim

By Janet Fife-Yeomans
Daily Telegraph
April 14, 2014

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/kerry-haggar-the-wife-of-a-salvation-army-child-sex-abuser-apologised-to-the-victim/story-fni0cx4q-1226883596110

Kerry Haggar with her child sex abuser husband Colin Haggar.

Broke down in the witness box: Kerry Haggar.

THE wife of a Salvation Army officer has told how she apologised to the mother of an eight-year-old who he had sexually assaulted.

“She was very forgiving,” Lieutenant Colonel Kerry Haggar told the child sex abuse royal commission today.

“She told me not to worry about it.”

Lt Col Haggar said her husband Colin, who was also a lieutenant colonel in the Salvos until he was finally dismissed earlier this year, had told her what he had done in late 1989 when they were living in a western NSW town.

He had told her that he had “inappropriately touched” the girl. The commission has heard that he told the mother: “It wasn’t that serious. I only fingered her.”

The couple was later invited to dinner by the mother which was when Lt Col Hagger apologised to her, she said.

Lt Col Haggar broke down in the witness box as she also apologised to a fellow officer for an email she sent her via Facebook on the day after the royal commission opened its hearing into the Salvation Army two weeks ago.

She had written to Captain Michelle White, who had finally blown the whistle on Colin Haggar last year: “The chain of events you set in place have caused devastation and incredible pain to many innocent people.

“In attempting to protect families, you have caused irreparable damage to mind.”

The message was sent at 5.52am.

Lt Col Haggar said she had had a sleepless night, her husband’s name had been splashed across the media and she was tired and distressed.

She said that she had not realised that it could be seen as intimidation.

“In hindsight it was wrong. I am very sorry,” she said.

The action has cost her her position as one of the top five Salvation Army officers as one of the “cabinet” that runs NSW, ACT and Queensland.

Until April 4, she said she had been the secretary for business administration but was now on indefinite leave and was told that she would not be returning to her role.

She said that her “calling” from the age of 18 had been to join the Salvation Army.

A former detective contracted by the Salvation Army to investigate Mr Haggar’s case, among others, has revealed how his relationship with some army officers has degenerated into tensions and even “dislike”.

John Greville said that Mr Haggar’s case had never been properly investigated and that the mother of the eight-year-old girl had denied saying they did not want the police involved.

He said that she and her husband had felt intimidated and frightened because they were “lowly adherents” in the Salvos and no-one would believe them as opposed to senior officers.

Mr Greville said that he was the first person to interview the girl, who revealed to him another two incidents of sexual assault by Mr Haggar when he touched the girl’s vagina three times, each time more serious than the last.

He was critical of the Salvation Army for believing Mr Haggar’s version and not doing their own investigation.

There was also an allegation that Mr Haggar had indecently assaulted an intellectually challenged girl.

“He did not admit his behaviour truthfully,” Mr Greville said of Mr Haggar.

The hearing in Sydney continues.