Two Former Salvation Army Officers Charged with 28 Counts of Sexually Abusing Boys in Nsw Orphanages

By Daniel Peters
Daily Mail
November 3, 2016

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3899890/Former-Salvation-Army-officers-charged-child-sexual-abuse-NSW-boys-homes.html

Two former Salvation Army officers have been charged with a total of 28 counts of sexually assaulting boys in NSW orphanages.

The men, aged 77 and 74, were arrested on Wednesday over allegations of horrific sexual abuse at boys' homes in Bexley and Goulburn in the 1960s and 1970s.

The allegations were first raised at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, which took place in early 2014.

Two former Salvation Army officers have been charged for historic child sex abuse at two NSW orphanages (pictured is an undated photograph of children staying at Bexley Boys' Home, one of the locations where the abuse is alleged to have happened)

The men, aged 77 and 74, were arrested on Wednesday over allegations of horrific sexual abuse at boys' homes in Bexley and Goulburn (pictured) in the 1960s and 1970s

A 74-year-old man was arrested at a home in Waterloo, in Sydney's inner-city, at 7.30am on Wednesday.

He was charged with 23 counts of indecent assault on a male, two counts of buggery (anal intercourse), and one count of procure indecent act with male.

Police will allege the man sexually assaulted boys at orphanages in Bexley and Goulburn between 1971 and 1974.

He was refused bail and is due to face Central Local Court on Thursday.

A second man, aged 77, was arrested at a home in Richmond, in Sydney's far-west, at about 7.30am on Wednesday.

He was later charged with two counts of indecent assault upon a male, seven counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and four counts of common assault.

Police will allege the man committed the offences against boys in the same orphanage in Bexley between 1968 and 1974.

He was granted conditional bail and will appear before Windsor Local Court on December 15.

The allegations of horrific sexual abuse were first raised at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse. The Salvation Army did not wish to comment

One man, 74, was arrested at a Sydney home and charged with 23 counts of indecent assault on a male. Police will allege that the sexual assaults took place at Bexley Boys' Home (pictured is an undated photograph of children at Bexley Boys' Home)

The arrests were a result of extensive investigations carried out by Strike Force Lehmann, which was established following the Royal Commission.

In a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia, the Salvation Army said it would be inappropriate to provide public comment due to the ongoing criminal proceedings.

'To The Salvation Army, the protection and wellbeing of children and vulnerable people is paramount and one of our greatest priorities as an organisation,' the statement added.

'Our policies and practices, both internationally and across Australia, are consistently reviewed to ensure that volunteers, staff and officers who work with children have been properly screened and trained.'

'These measures have been designed to ensure accountability and child protection processes are continuously adhered to so children will never be harmed again.'

Cliff Randall (right), was a witness who gave evidence of child abuse at Bexley boys home in Sydney at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2014

Bexley Boys' Home started as a probationary home for boys in 1915 taking troubled youths from court, but became a boys' home in 1931.

It was renamed Kolling Memorial Boys' Home in 1967 but shut down two years later.

In a statement in 2006, the Salvation Army said it had accommodated and cared for more than 30,000 children from the 1940s to the 1980s.

If any member of the public has information in relation to Strike Force Lehmann, they should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police encourage any person who has been a victim of any kind of sexual violence, no matter how long ago the incident occurred, to contact police.

Reports can be made at any police station.