Salvation Army Dismisses Whistleblower, Marina Randall, Who Raised Concerns about Commissioner
By Sarah Dingle
The Salvation Army has abruptly dismissed a whistleblower, just months after her husband publicly aired concerns about the organisation's commissioner, James Condon. Major Marina Randall had been volunteering four days a week at the organisation's Professional Standards Office, to assess the complaints of victims of child abuse. The couple gave evidence in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in February in Sydney. The couple gave evidence in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in February in Sydney. In the 1970s Mrs Randall and her husband Major Cliff Randall had been houseparents at the Alkira Salvation Army boy's home in Brisbane when they reported an incident of violence against a child involving a Salvation Army officer to Queensland's Department of Children's Services. The royal commission was told the couple was dismissed by the Salvation Army as a result. The commission, in February, also heard from former assistant police commissioner in Queensland David Jefferies that a paedophile network operated near the boy's home in the Brisbane suburb of Indooroopilly. It was alleged that the network flew boys in state care across the border to have sex with adults. The former assistant police commissioner said it was possible that boys from Alkira were involved. Mr Randall told the commission a boy from Alkira had approached him in 1975 saying he was flown from Brisbane to Sydney by a millionaire hardware store owner. Mrs Randall dismissed after ABC interview with husband In April, the commision was told the Salvation Army had kept the confessed child sex abuser, Colin Haggar, in its ranks, and promoted him to assistant director of a women's and children's shelter. Mr Randall told Background Briefing that the promotion horrified him. "It would be like putting a drunk in charge of a bar really. You're putting temptation in front of him," the former major told the ABC in May. Mr Randall was also asked his opinion of Salvation Army Commissioner James Condon's assertion that Colin Haggar's sexual abuse of a child was reported to police. "That puts me in an awkward position," Mr Randall told the ABC. "You've got to listen to what was said at the commission and wonder whether it really did happen or not. "You'd hope that the commissioner is telling the truth but I'm not sure. I'm not sure." . Weeks after the ABC story aired, the Randalls were told they had brought the Salvation Army into disrepute and last week Marina Randall was abruptly dismissed from the Professional Standards Office without explanation. The Salvation Army denies the action is linked to her husband's ABC interview. Investigator John Greville, who worked with Mrs Randall, disagrees. "From what I've been told, they were called before the hierarchy of the Salvation Army as a result of Major Cliff Randall's recent interview with the ABC and he was told that he was disloyal and brought the army into disrepute," Mr Greville said. Mr Greville says the couple is an asset to the organisation. "He [Mr Randall] was one of the very few honest people – him and his wife have been honest from the start. Many people have praised them, and I think because of people like them the army do have good standing." A statement from the Salvation Army says Major Marina Randall's dismissal had nothing to do with the interview her husband gave the ABC. It says Mrs Randall was assisting the Professional Standards Office in a temporary capacity, and the PSO is undergoing a restructure which means some internal roles will change.
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