Harrowing day of evidence at child abuse royal commission in Darwin

ABC - PM
September 23, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2014/s4093322.htm

DAVID MARK: Former residents of the Retta Dixon Children's Home in Darwin have broken down on the stand while giving evidence to the child sexual abuse royal commission.

Retta Dixon Home was a home for mixed-race Indigenous children run from the 1940s to 1980 by a group of evangelical missionaries.

One witness today told the commission how the former race discrimination commissioner Tom Calma, was told a young boy was sexually abused in the 1970s, but that the allegations were not followed up.

The royal commission is investigating how the missionaries running the home, along with the NT Government and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, handled allegations of severe physical and sexual abuse.

And a warning, Will Ockenden's story contains distressing details.

WILL OCKENDEN: It was a day packed with emotions, as witnesses at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse broke down in the witness box.

WITNESS: And the doors were locked. He sexually penetrated me. There was lots of blood. (Sobbing)

WILL OCKENDEN: After a brief adjournment, former Retta Dixon Home resident Veronica Johns told the commission that former Retta Dixon Home house parent Don Henderson had sexually abused many of the children at the home, including her brother.

A lot of the personal evidence from several of the witnesses has alleged serious sexual and physical abuse committed by Mr Henderson.

Former resident Kevin Stagg says he had to go to hospital after a brutal attack.

KEVIN STAGG: Once I was taken to the old Darwin hospital with a bleeding anus (crying) from being abused by Henderson.

I was about nine years old.

WILL OCKENDEN: A witness, whose name is suppressed so is referred to as AKV, told the commission about how he was sexually abused by Don Henderson and what he had to do to avoid him.

AKV: You would have to avoid the banana patch; you'd avoid the chook pen; you'd avoid the linen press; you'd avoid the place right next to the recreation hall which was the store room where the people were sent, the young fellas were sent to get the food to take back to the houses, because Mr Henderson was in there abusing boys in that place.

WILL OCKENDEN: Don Henderson has been charged twice for sexual assault, once in 1975 and again in 2002.

At one point, Don Henderson was charged with 79 sexual offences.

In 1975 and 2002, the prosecution was unsuccessful. Mr Henderson has always denied the allegations.

Witness AKV says Aborigines Inland Mission or AIM - that's the group running the home - should've done more to stop it.

AKV: They turned a blind eye to Henderson and their failure to uphold those Christian values was absolutely appalling and full of contradictions.

WILL OCKENDEN: Under questioning, AKV told the commission that in the 1970s, prominent Indigenous campaigner Tom Calma was told of sexual abuse against a young boy, but the incident was never followed up.

AKV: Without saying at the time that I knew exactly where he was from but in my assumption he was from the welfare, Northern Territory Government welfare mob.

ROYAL COMMISSION QUESTIONER: Did you see that man on one occasion or more than one occasion?

AKV: I remember him turning up on several occasions.

ROYAL COMMISSION QUESTIONER: But did you speak to him on one occasion or more than one occasion.

AKV: Just one occasion, yes.

ROYAL COMMISSION QUESTIONER: And after you spoke to him, did anything happen? Did anyone talk to you further about it?

AKV: Nothing at all. Not at all.

ROYAL COMMISSION QUESTIONER: And can you recall how he responded to you?

AKV: He was predisposed. He seemed almost helpless, almost like, I'm taking notes and this is about as far as it's going to go.

WILL OCKENDEN: Today saw all nine former Retta Dixon resident witnesses finish giving evidence, from tomorrow the institutions will provide their side of the story.

It's likely the royal commission will question the NT's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions later in the week on why many of the charges against Mr Henderson were dropped and some of the reasons for the unsuccessful prosecutions.

DAVID MARK: Will Ockenden reporting, and we've just received a statement from Tom Calma.

It says, "Doctor Calma has never worked for the Northern Territory Welfare Department. He's currently preparing a statement for the royal commission."