Child sex abuse inquiry: Salvation Army officers may have believed children in homes were 'progeny of evil'

By Candice Marcus
ABC News
October 12, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-12/salvos-may-have-believed-eden-park-children-as-progeny-of-evil/6846308

The child sex abuse royal commission is hearing evidence about the abuse of "inmates" at Eden Park Children's Home.

Some Salvation Army officers may have perceived children in institutional homes as "evil" and believed it was their duty to save them from their "vicious and criminal tendencies", a royal commission has heard.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining four children's homes in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria run by the Salvation Army.

The organisation's territorial commander of the Australian southern territory, Commissioner Floyd Tidd, is giving evidence for a second day.

On Friday, he delivered an apology to former residents of the home who were physically, sexually and emotionally abused at the homes.

One of the presiding royal commissioners, Robert Fitzgerald, asked Commissioner Tidd about the Salvation Army's references to evil in historic documents.

The Commission heard Salvation Army documents had said that "many boys are drawn into the vortex of vice and crime by sheer misadventure or ignorance. It is part of the Army's business to discover such, and to render them prompt assistance".

Commissioner Fitzgerald said the notion of the Salvation Army "fighting against evil" was a very prominent theme in early documents, including the 1899 "how to keep religion" document.

Q: Is it the case in fact that some within the Army actually believed that children that were admitted to these homes were themselves either evil, or the progeny of evil, because it's certainly a statement that many of the victims have said to us, that they believed that's how they were perceived?

A: Yes. It would be difficult for me to argue or answer specifically to that scenario. I could certainly understand how there would be a sense at least that they were victims of evil or there were significant evil influences upon them. Some may well have interpreted them or seen them as evil themselves.

Q: If the language of the documents of the time which persisted for decades, did it not almost create a problem for the staff including staff and volunteers in those particular homes in how they perceived those in their care, that is the boys and girls?

A: It may well have.

Commissioner Tidd said the manager and an officer of the Eden Park Boys' Home, who was later convicted of child sexual offences, should have had their employment terminated during an investigation in 1970.

The inquiry heard there had been numerous concerns raised with the Salvation Army and the South Australian government about the Eden Park Boys' Home near Mount Barker as early as the 1940s.

The inquiry heard an employee of the home raised concerns about the treatment of boys at the home.

He sent a letter, through solicitors, to the South Australian social welfare minister in 1970 detailing the use of a small lockup room with no windows or light that was used to punish boys, as well as violence shown by officers.

One of the officers he referred to was Sergeant William John Keith Ellis, who was later convicted of sexually abusing young boys at the home.

This prompted an investigation, but Commissioner Tidd said he could not see any reference in the historic documents to Sergeant Ellis or the manager of the home Brigadier Lawler being disciplined.

Counsel Assisting the Commission, Sophie David, asked Commissioner Tidd about what action should have been taken against the senior officers.

Q: What would have been the appropriate action to be taken against Mr Ellis, if it was accepted that he had used a leather strap against residents or children at the home?

A: It would seem, looking back into the situation, that if that was illegal and in contravention of our own policy it would be a termination of employment.

Q: What about in respect of Brigadier Lawler, who had authorised such action to Mr Ellis, he had said 'you can use the leather strap'. What would be the appropriate course against him?

A: It would certainly have required at least a presentation of that fact through the state social program secretary to the territorial office for a review and for an opportunity for Brigadier Lawler to explain his actions, which could perhaps lead to a court martial which would have the potential for termination of his officership.

The inquiry heard Salvation Army regulations and orders had stipulated that only the commanding officer of a home was authorised to inflict punishment on "inmates" at the institutions and that corporal punishment should be used sparingly.

The inquiry heard the Salvation Army established the Officer Review Board to deal with disciplinary matters in 1989, but it was not ordered to review all historical allegations of child sexual abuse against officers until 2014.

Commissioner Tidd accepted the culture of physical abuse was one of the reasons that many children were too frightened to report sexual abuse when it was happening.

Q: Can you provide any explanation from your own research or your own understanding of the Salvation Army how a culture of the widespread nature of such physical abuse was allowed to occur and indeed flourish at the home?

A: I can't account for why it was allowed to flourish. It's certainly recognised it did take place as we look back. I think the regret is there was not an avenue for children to be heard in that point in time and where they did speak out we saw evidence again that they often experienced further physical abuse for such speaking up which deterred any further declaration of abuse that they were experiencing.

Q: But since taking over the position of commissioner of the southern territory or territorial commander of the southern territory since 2013, do you have any understanding as to why that level of physical abuse and the open nature of it was able to occur in the institutions and the homes run by the Salvation Army. Can you add anything to that?

A: I cannot comprehend why it was allowed to continue to happen.