Victim of Alleged Paedophile Ring Claims She Was Abused at Parties Attended by Political Elite

The Australian
October 22, 2015

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/victim-of-alleged-paedophile-ring-claims-she-was-abused-at-parties-attended-by-political-elite/story-e6frg6n6-1227580116606

THE victim of an alleged child sex trafficking network claims she was prostituted at dozens of paedophile parties, which were attended by political elite at Canberra’s Parliament House.

Speaking to the media outside the Royal Commission in Sydney today, Fiona Barnett, from northern NSW, also claims she witnessed “hundreds of crimes” — including murder, rape, abduction and torture — at the hands of the so-called elite paedophile ring 40 years ago.

The network, which Ms Barnett maintains still operates today, included high-ranking politicians, and police and judiciary members.

Fiona Barnett speaks to the media in Sydney. Source: News Corp Australia

Ms Barnett, 45, said she had reported the allegations to multiple health professionals, NSW Police in 2008 and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2013.

“My experiences were horrific beyond words ... but the way I’ve been treated for reporting the crimes I witnessed and experienced has been far worse than my original abuse experiences,” she said.

Ms Barnett described the alleged operation as a “very well-coordinated international paedophile ring”, and said there was a strict hierarchy.

“I was only saved for the VIP paedophiles,” she said.

“It’s a hierarchy, what I witnessed was the very top of the hierarchy.”

Ms Barnett said she “lives in absolute fear” and only decided to speak out because she “has nothing left to lose”.

She maintains the network is still in operation, and urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to make it a priority to “make the kids safe”.

Child sex abuse advocacy group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Australia (SNAP), says it has heard from several other alleged victims who say they have witnessed similar offences of rape, torture and murder perpetrated by the most senior people in Australia.

“We’re not talking about an isolated incident and an isolated survivor. It’s a pattern, it’s widespread and it’s continuing today,” SNAP leader Nicky Davis said.

She claimed many survivors had spoken and given evidence to police and the abuse royal commission but were mostly ignored. The group has urged the federal government to launch an investigation into the elite paedophile network.

Ms Barnett said she was “five turning six” at the time of the alleged incidents at Parliament House.

The allegations come after Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan told a parliamentary inquiry he had a list of 28 prominent paedophiles, which allegedly included a former prime minister and members of the judiciary.

Speaking under the protection of parliamentary privilege in a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, Senator Heffernan claimed the list was uncovered during the Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Force.

Senator Heffernan didn’t name any names but called on Attorney-General George Brandis to expand the child abuse royal commission so that it includes the legal fraternity.

However, Attorney-General George Brandis said just because someone’s name appeared on a list didn’t make them guilty.

He advised Senator Heffernan to go to the current abuse royal commission, which would decide if the information was something it could inquire into.

“We should respect any decision of the royal commission about the ambit and scope of its terms of reference,” he said.