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'He'd flog me so hard I'd wet myself': Man tells of horrific sex abuse inflicted on him age 10 at a children's home after he was taken from his family as a baby

By Nicole Low
Daily Mail
December 03, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/j3zf9pc

John Gordon was 10-years-old when he was adopted by Donald Henderson and his wife at Retta Dixon Home (pictured) in Darwin. It was a government-funded, religious home for Aboriginal children

Disturbing allegations of several cases of child abuse at the hands of Donald Henderson has previously been heard at the royal commission into child sex abuse in Darwin

From 1964 to 1975, the Hendersons worked at Retta Dixon - a government-funded, religious home in Darwin where John Gordon had lived since he was removed from his family as a baby

Mr Gordon said he felt 'special' and 'chosen' when the Hendersons decided to adopt him from Retta Nixon (pictured) but his adoptive father turned his life into a nightmare by allegedly molesting and beating him

The Hendersons had been tasked with looking after Aboriginal children brought to Retta Dixon by the Commonwealth. The home was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974

Disturbing allegations of several cases of child abuse at the hands of Mr Henderson has previously been heard at the royal commission (pictured) into child sex abuse in Darwin

A man haunted by the sexual and physical abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of his adoptive father at a home for Aboriginal children in the 1960s has spoken out for the first time.

John Gordon was 10-years-old when he was adopted by Donald Henderson and his wife at Retta Dixon Home in Darwin, the ABC reports.

From 1964 to 1975, the Hendersons worked at the government-funded, religious home in Darwin where Mr Gordon had lived since he was removed from his family as a baby as part of the Stolen Generation period.

Mr Gordon told the ABC he felt 'special' and 'chosen' when they decided to adopt him but his Mr Henderson turned his life into a nightmare by allegedly molesting and beating him.

'I remember when he used to give me beatings. It wasn't just a slap on the ass… he'd flog me that hard I'd wet myself,' he said.

'I still have dreams about it. The last time I had dreams like that I woke up the whole house screaming.'

'I sometimes feel like it's my fault, I don't know why.

'Did we do something to turn the old b****** on? What's his fetish? What did we do to deserve it? We must have done something to deserve it, done something wrong, otherwise it wouldn't happen.'

Disturbing allegations of several cases of child abuse at the hands of Mr Henderson has previously been heard at the royal commission into child sex abuse in Darwin.

Mr Gordon, who hasn't seen Mr Henderon is two decades, was due to give evidence at the royal commission about the alleged abuse he suffered but he had a heart attack as hearings began.

Another former ward, Jarrell Kunoth, told the royal commission he was allegedly sexually assaulted by the man, who has been named one of the worst offenders at the institution, when he was aged nine.

'He (Mr Henderson) grabbed my foot and rubbed it on his private and I couldn't pull away because I was only young then and he was a big strong man,' Mr Kunoth said.

'Little things like that plays on your mind, because it makes you feel dirty.'

The Hendersons had been tasked with looking after Aboriginal children brought to Retta Dixon by the Commonwealth. The home was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974.

In the 1980s, Mr Henderson was found guilty of indecently assaulting two boys who were not from Retta Dixon. He was given a two-year good behaviour bond.

Mr Henderson, who is now 79, was due to give evidence at the royal commission but was admitted to a mental health institution before the inquiry started in the Northern Territory.

He lives on the Sunshine Coast with his wife and an adult daughter he adopted from Retta Dixon when she was a girl.

Twelve people have launched a class action lawsuit against him, claiming damages for alleged sexual assault.




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