AUSTRALIA
The Guardian (UK)
Australian Associated Press
theguardian.com, Friday 7 February 2014
The Salvation Army’s decision to allow a man with a history of abuse to re-enter its ranks was the worst mistake in its history, an inquiry has been told.
The Salvos had already dealt with many allegations of brutal sexual and physical abuse by Lawrence Wilson, a former manager of boys homes in NSW and Queensland, a hearing of the royal commission into child sex abuse heard in Sydney.
Major Peter Farthing, who is co-ordinating the Salvation Army’s response to the commission, said he expected more victims to come forward.
Answering questions about how Wilson, who was dismissed from the army in 1961, applied to re-enter in 1965, Farthing said it had never been policy to check references when hiring staff.
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