Commissioners tour Retta Dixon House

Sky News
September 24, 2014

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/local/darwin/2014/09/24/commissioners-tour-retta-dixon-house.html

Royal Commissioners investigating institutional responses to child sex abuse have toured the site of the Retta Dixon House.

The home for Aboriginal and mixed-race children, between 1946 and 1980, has been described as a house of horrors.

The three Royal Commissioners were shown the grounds, as well as cottage two, where house parent Don Henderson lived and allegedly carried out horrendous acts of child sexual abuse.

The commissioners also saw the chicken pen at the back of the block, where children said they were scared to be caught alone with Henderson.

One victim have evidence he was allegedly raped by Henderson near the chicken pen.

Henderson has come up in almost every account of evidence so far.

Victims of abuse have outlined "harrowing" accounts to the commission, of extreme sexual abuse, beatings, assaults, bullying, harassment, stalking, and brutality.

Nine former residents are set down to give evidence over the fortnight of sittings at the Darwin Supreme Court.