Tom Calma ‘definitely’ told of Retta Dixon Home abuse

By Amos Aikman
Australian
September 24, 2014

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/tom-calma-definitely-told-of-retta-dixon-home-abuse/story-fngburq5-1227068305285

INDIGENOUS human rights campaigner Tom Calma was told of horrific allegations of sexual abuse at a Darwin missionary home that were not followed up, a royal commission has heard.

Some of the allegations concerned a “house parent” called Don Henderson. The commission has heard Mr Henderson adopted two children from the home and was later seen acting suspiciously around shops and schools in Darwin.

In surprise revelations yesterday, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard that Dr Calma was informed about some of the abuse in the 1970s while working for the NT government.

The alleged abuse occurred at Retta Dixon Home for children and women, run by Australian Indigenous Ministries (formerly Aboriginal Inland Mission) in Darwin’s Bagot Aboriginal Reserve between 1946 and 1980.

In the second day of hearings in Darwin, former RDH residents described being routinely beaten, chained and subjected to extraordinary punishments. One child was allegedly stabbed with a can opener, another was said to have had faeces rubbed in her face.

One witness said he went to school with welts all over his body, hidden under his clothes; another said he wore nappies to prevent blood from being sodomised soiling his uniform.

Former resident Kevin Stagg said Mr Henderson, known among the children as “tickle foot” because of his fetish, made a habit of taking advantage of the boys at his chook shed.

“As you were bending down to get the eggs, Henderson would come up behind me and pull my pants down and rape me,” Mr Stagg said. “No foreplay, no nothing. He just rammed himself into me.”

Witnesses have told the commission there was no one to whom they felt they could report abuse. Mr Stagg said he was caned by superintendent Mervyn Pattermore until he changed his story.

A man referred to only as AKV told the commission he had reported some of the abuse to Dr Calma when he was about 10, when Dr Calma was working for the NT “welfare mob”.

A spokesperson for Dr Calma said: “Dr Tom Calma has never worked for the Northern Territory welfare department. He is preparing a statement for the royal commission.”

Dr Calma is Canberra University chancellor and has served as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner and as race discrimination commissioner.

AKV said he had “definitely” told Dr Calma about the alleged sexual abuse and beatings. Dr Calma had “seemed almost helpless”.