AUSTRALIA
The Australian
Amos Aikman
Northern Correspondent
Darwin
ABORIGINAL children at the Retta Dixon Home in Darwin suffered harrowing sexual and physical abuse, including being chained up, beaten until they bled and repeatedly touched inappropriately, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard.
Many of those living at the home, which operated between 1946 and 1980, were members of the Stolen Generation, taken from their parents due to their mixed race heritage.
The commission is sitting in Darwin for the next fortnight to hear evidence from nine residents of the home, which housed Aboriginal and mixed race children and unmarried women. It will also hear from a number of experts and government and other agencies.
In her opening statement, Sophie David SC assisting the Royal Commission said the former residents would give “harrowing” testimony about experiences at the RDH.
“The alleged perpetrators were house parents or other children of the home, some of whom were also allegedly sexually abused and sexualised by house parents themselves,” Ms David said.
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