Head of Mission That Ran Darwin Home "Tried to Get Donald Henderson to Admit Abuse"

By Xavier La Canna
7 News
November 15, 2014

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/25519349/retta-dixon-head-of-mission-that-ran-darwin-home-tried-to-get-donald-henderson-to-admit-abuse/

The head of a religious group that once employed a notorious Darwin paedophile met with him last month in an unsuccessful bid to get him to admit to child sexual abuse allegations he was never convicted of, new submissions say.

The information came as siblings of Donald Bruce Henderson prepare to meet with him this weekend, including one flying in from America, to discuss matters including the allegations of child sexual abuse.

Documents tendered to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Friday reveal that the head of the Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM), Reverend Trevor Leggott, met with Mr Henderson in an attempt to get him to admit he was involved in child sexual abuse against children at Darwin's Retta Dixon home.

"This was done for the specific purpose of, if those admissions were made, placing the matter in the hands of the police," the submission by Reverend Leggott's lawyer Mark Thomas said.

Mr Thomas told the ABC the meeting occurred on October 20.

Reverend Leggott remains in contact with Mr Henderson, who now lives interstate.

The royal commission hearings in Darwin heard Mr Henderson was a "house parent" at the Retta Dixon facility that once existed in the city to accommodate Aboriginal children, many of whom identified as being from the Stolen Generations.

The commission heard there were numerous allegations that Mr Henderson had molested and physically mistreated children at the home, but legal action against him for sexually abusing children was dropped twice, once in 1976 and again in 2002.

He was convicted in 1984 of molesting two boys at Darwin's Casuarina Pool, long after Retta Dixon had closed, but was freed on a $500, two-year good behaviour bond.

A police document tendered at the royal commission showed 86 counts against Mr Henderson that included charges of buggery, sexual assault and indecent assaults between 1966 and 1973, were withdrawn by authorities.

Henderson to meet brothers, sister

Mr Henderson has two brothers and a sister who were planning a family meeting this weekend, with one of the brothers flying to Australia from the United States for the meeting, Mr Thomas said.

He said that among other things, the family discussion would deal with the allegations of child abuse levelled against Mr Henderson.

"They are meeting Donald to talk about all of this," Mr Thomas said.

"There is certainly great concern on behalf of the family towards their brother.

"They are concerned about the whole matter and in particular the matter of the child abuse."

The royal commission was told that Mr Henderson had two adopted children.

On Monday the royal commission will hear oral submissions regarding the Retta Dixon home, and Mr Thomas said there may be a further announcement from AIM.

Reverend Leggott has not disputed the allegations made against Mr Henderson during the royal commission hearings in Darwin and has made a public apology for the mistreatment of children at Retta Dixon.

During the royal commission Reverend Leggott indicated that AIM was not in a position to offer compensation to victims without jeopardising the group's current work.

In the latest submission to the royal commission, Mr Thomas said that if possible, AIM would be interested in co-operating with a Commonwealth financial package.