AUSTRALIA
ABC News
The child abuse royal commission has been told about a paedophile ring that operated in Queensland in the 1970s and that boys from the Salvation Army’s Alkira home were likely victims. A retired Queensland police officer has given evidence that a wealthy businessman was involved with three other alleged paedophiles who groomed and abused boys in the same neighbourhood as the Salvation Army’s Alkira boys home. The inquiry has also heard that that boys were flown to Sydney where they were sexually exploited by a ‘top chef’ in the city.
Transcript
ELEANOR HALL: Now to the Royal Commission into child abuse which has been hearing evidence about a paedophile ring that operated in Queensland in the 1970s.
A retired Queensland police officer told the commission that a wealthy businessman was involved with three other alleged paedophiles who groomed and abused boys and that the likely victims were boys from the Salvation Army homes in Indooroopilly.
The former assistant police commissioner also told the inquiry that some boys were flown to Sydney where they were sexually exploited by a person he described as a “top chef” in that city.
Emily Bourke has been monitoring the hearing and joins us now.
Emily, tell us a little more about this Queensland police witness and how he came to know about the boys who were in the Salvation Army’s care?
EMILY BOURKE: David Jefferies is a former assistant police commissioner in Queensland and in 1974/75 he was in what was known as the Juvenile Aid Bureau, which looked after young offenders and children who were in need of protection.
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