Retta Dixon: Accused child abusers should appear at royal commission, witness says

By Xavier La Canna
ABC News
September 24, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-24/accused-retta-dixon-abusers-should-appear-at-royal-commission/5766684

Commission chair Peter McClellan and abuse victim Sandra Kitching talk at the former site of the Retta Dixon home.

Former detective Roger Newman tells the royal commission that he was unhappy with a decision not to proceed with charges against Don Henderson.

A woman who gave evidence about abuse at a government-run home for Aboriginal children in Darwin says the alleged perpetrators should be forced to appear at a royal commission.

Sandra Kitching, 64, visited the site of the former Retta Dixon home on Wednesday, along with the commissioners presiding over the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Ms Kitching said she refused to visit parts of the site that still harboured "bad spirits", but she wanted to pay her respects to those who died at Retta Dixon.

She said it was hard listening to some of the testimony given at the royal commission and she thought some of the alleged perpetrators were getting off too easily.

"Those perpetrators, they have to be there to listen to our grieving," she said.

"When you go to a court hearing isn't that what you want? These people need to come [to the royal commission]."

Many of the claims of abuse have been levelled at former house parent at Retta Dixon, Don Henderson, who was never convicted for alleged crimes connected to his time at Retta Dixon, although he was later convicted for a child sex crime in 1984.

"There are a few that should be there," Ms Kitching said, indicating that former workers George Pounder and Amelia Shankleton should have faced the accusations against them.

The ABC understands Mr Pounder and Ms Shankleton are now dead, although Mr Henderson is alive.

Mr Henderson is understood to be 78 years old and in poor health.

"Mr Pounder would try to put his hand on my leg in a sexual way," Ms Kitching told the hearing on Tuesday.

She said he once had her clothes taken off and was chained up in a spare room by Mr Pounder.

"He would say, 'look, it's all right', and I would say, 'Stop! Don't touch me'."

Ms Kitching alleged Ms Shankleton, who was a superintendent in charge of part of the facility, did not act when she was told that children had been caned.

Ms Kitching also believes that another former worker at Retta Dixon, Mervyn Pattemore, should have been present at the hearing.

She told the hearing Mr Pattemore was alerted to Mr Pounder's inappropriate behaviour but did nothing to prevent it.

The royal commission also heard from former detective sergeant Roger Newman, who worked with the Sexual Crimes Unit in the Northern Territory and investigated the alleged crimes of Mr Henderson.

The commission heard details of numerous allegations against Mr Henderson, but that none of them were brought to trial.

Documents showed there were 87 counts levelled against Mr Henderson for alleged actions between 1963 and 1973, including dozens for indecent assault and some for buggery.

The cases were due to be heard at the Darwin Supreme Court in 2002, but Director of Public Prosecutions Jack Karczewski QC decided not to proceed with them.

Mr Karczewski thought the case would be difficult to win because of the time taken for the complaint to be made, the time since the offence was committed and the lack of corroboration, the commission was told.

Asked whether he shared the scepticism of Mr Karczewski, Mr Newman said he thought the cases should have gone ahead.

"I envisioned difficulties, but I thought those difficulties could be overcome," Mr Newman said.

"I felt this matter was a matter of public interest as well and needed to be tested," he said.

He said he expressed his disappointment to Mr Karczewski about the decision.

In 1975 Mr Henderson was questioned by police about allegations levelled against him, but Mr Henderson refused to answer questions.

The commission on Wednesday also heard testimony from Lola Wall, who worked at Retta Dixon as a house parent in charge of some of the children.

Ms Wall said she had concerns about the actions of Mr Henderson and did not let children in her care go to his cottage to watch television.

Despite her concerns, in a meeting with Mr Pattemore, there was no discussion of calling police, she said.

The royal commission is expected to continue its hearings in Darwin until early next week.