Child sex abuse widespread in SA: report

from Wimmera

By Tim Dornin

Child sexual abuse is widespread and reporting rates are low, a report into the sexual abuse of children in state care in South Australia has found.

Releasing the results of his three-year inquiry into the abuse of children in state care, former Supreme Court Justice Ted Mullighan said evidence showed abuse occurred in every type of care from the 1940s onward.

Mr Mullighan heard from 792 people who said they had been abused and determined 242 of those had been in care at the time.

Those in state care made a total of 826 allegations against 922 perpetrators.

The inquiry had referred 170 allegations to police involving 434 perpetrators with two suspects already arrested and 13 reported.

Mr Mullighan found that abuse occurred in large institutional care, in church institutions, in government and non-government homes for children, in youth shelters, residential care units and foster homes.

The inquiry heard from 103 people who said they were abused while in foster care, by their foster parents, other foster children and outsiders including teachers, camp workers, social workers, priests, neighbours and even a taxi driver.

Mr Mullighan said outsiders who targeted children in foster care were often pedophiles who lured children with the promise of money, cigarettes, alcohol, food and shelter in return for sex.

One witness told the inquiry: "This social group absorbed people like myself and you would be passed around between them and paid .... they were wanting sex, I was paid for it, and everyone went their own way".

Mr Mullighan said the evidence to his inquiry revealed just how vulnerable the children placed in state care were.

"Many said they had already experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the family home, witnessed violence and alcoholism among adults, suffered the effects of poverty including transience or been neglected by their parents for various reasons, including mental illness," he said in his report.

"Some said they developed behavioural issues as children, including being difficult to control, absconding or committing minor crime.

"Their vulnerability arising from the effects of such abuse made them prime targets for perpetrators when placed in a care and protection system that was deficient in its knowledge, understanding and recognition of child sexual abuse."

One witness told the inquiry that being taken from an abusive family and placed in care was like being "taken out of the frying pan and thrown into the fire".

Mr Mullighan made 54 recommendations in his report including legislating for a charter of rights for children and young people and a complete review of the training of social workers in regard to identifying and dealing with child sex abuse.

He also called for an extensive media campaign to educate the community on child sexual abuse with reference to the tactics of pedophiles and others involved in abuse.

Tabling the report in state parliament, Premier Mike Rann said it had sickened him when he read it.

"The report chronicles account after account of children robbed, not only of their innocence but of their past, their present and their future," Mr Rann said.

"Tragically in many cases spanning decades children placed in care - in a series of government and church institutions suffered sexual abuse.

"Perpetrators have included those charged with the care of children, other children in care, visitors and strangers."

Mr Rann said the government would respond to Mr Mullighan's recommendations by June 19.

But he said the inquiry was not the end of the story.

"The commission of inquiry has given people a chance to tell their stories, to have their truth about their lives acknowledged," he said.