Children Were "Forced to Eat Their Own Vomit and Have Sex with Older Residents at Australian Orphanage Run by Anglican Church"

Daily Mail
November 18, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2509224/Children-forced-eat-vomit-sex-older-residents-Australian-orphanage-run-Anglican-church.html

Children were forced to eat their own vomit and have sex with staff at an Australian orphanage run by the Anglican church, an inquiry has heard.

A former child resident told the royal commission into the alleged abuse that young children were viciously beaten over decades of systematic abuse at the North Coast Children's Home in Lismore, New South Wales.

The witness, known only as CK, said today that some children suffered ritual sexual abuse at the hands of staff.

Children were systematically abused at the Anglican-run North Coast Children's Home in Lismore, New South Wales, a royal commission has heard

The Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney was set up to investigate the Church's handling of the abuse when complaints were made from 2005.

About seven former residents, who lived at the orphanage between 1944 and 1985, are expected to give evidence at the two-week inquiry.

It is estimated that about 200 children suffered physical or sexual abuse at the home.

In 2006, the Anglican Church paid compensation to 38 victims but other claims were later rejected.

In his graphic account of abuse at the care home, CK told the hearing that he was subjected to a 'cleansing process' in which a minister licked him while a cross was placed on his body.

The inquiry was also told that children as young as five were forced to have oral sex.

Seven former residents of the home will give evidence to the two-week commission (file picture)

CK, who left the home in 1958, said he was once made to sit at a table for ten hours because he refused to eat.

'If you threw up they made you eat the vomit and I was not going to do that', he was quoted by saying by Nine MSN.

He described one incident in which a matron beat three children so badly in a shower that there was blood running into the drain.

Many children went on to commit suicide, the hearing was told.

CK said: 'The pain that we have, we will take to the grave. The ones who have suicided, they're possibly the lucky ones. We're the living dead that remain.'

He spoke of terrible conditions in which children had no shoes and few clothes.

Former resident and campaigner Tommy Campion spearheaded the suit against the church.

He has accused the Anglican Church of fighting claims of abuse and he and his sister refused to accept compensation that was given to claimants.

The church apologised for the abuse earlier this year.

The commission is expected to sit for two weeks.