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Northern Territory Detective ‘bungled’ Retta Dixon Paedophile Probe

Amos Aikman
September 25, 2014

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/northern-territory-detective-bungled-retta-dixon-paedophile-probe/story-fn59niix-1227070419245

Former detective Roger Newman, who testified at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Darwin today. Source: News Limited

THE inaugural head of the Northern Territory police sex crimes unit bungled an investigation into allegations a convicted pedophile serially abused Stolen Generation children during his time as a carer at a Darwin missionary, a royal commission has heard.

Former detective Roger Newman began his investigation in the late 1990s after receiving a complaint alleging that former “house parent” Donald Henderson had committed at least 100 separate sexual acts on children while working at the Retta Dixon Home in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was told Mr Newman took too long to discover that Mr Henderson had been convicted of similar offences in the 1980s as well as previously charged with abusing children at the RDH in 1975.

John Lawrence QC, acting for several alleged victims, suggested Mr Newman should have recognised that he was dealing with a potential serial child abuser and acted more swiftly. Mr Newman took 15 months to obtain a list of the children living at the home inside Darwin’s Bagot Aboriginal reserve during the period Mr Henderson worked there.

“Over a year goes by, and you haven’t discovered any of the relevant house parents that worked during this period?’’ Mr Lawrence asked

“It doesn’t appear that way, no,” Mr Newman replied.

The detective, who agreed he was “experienced”, also failed to take statements from a number of witnesses who could have aided his investigation, and did not adequately follow concerns that Mr Henderson might be continuing to molest children, the commission was told.

Mr Newman at times struggled to recollect the sequence of events and why he had not spoken to particular people. He said it was not his practice to pressure potential witnesses who did not want to give statements, but agreed he could have done more.

The commission is examining the circumstances that led to two attempts to prosecute Mr Henderson for child sex offences, in 1975 and 2002, both being dropped. He was convicted and given a good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to assaulting two boys at a swimming pool in Darwin in 1984.

Shortly before the commission broke for lunch, the commission heard that a former RDH superintendent, Mervyn Pattemore, who had been involved in attempts to prosecute Mr Henderson in 1975, later denied knowledge of alleged child sex abuse.

“So you are thinking, are you not, institutional cover up?” Mr Lawrence asked?

“No, I was not thinking that at the time,” Mr Newman replied.

The hearing continues.

 

 

 

 

 




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