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One News
December 9, 2003
CYF to look into Sally Army abuse
A
group of people at the centre of the Salvation Amy abuse scandal is welcoming a
decision by a government agency to investigate their claims.
The former state wards have been asking Child, Youth and Family to intervene
for months.
But its inquiry won't deal with complaints from alleged victims who were not
state wards.
Eighty-four year old Jack (who's surname is not revealed) says good gardening
is the one positive thing says he learned from his time in a Salvation Army
children's home
Beyond that he says he learned only of people's capacity for cruelty.
"I'm good today. I haven't broken down 'cos I haven't started talking
about what they did to me but if you start questioning me and bringing up my
past then I get all emotional," he says.
One News first revealed four months ago the abuse Jack suffered as a state ward
at a boys' home in
He's disappointed he's not yet had an apology from the Salvation Army and hopes
Child, Youth and Family's invesitgation will change that.
Child, Youth and Family says it's received 31 complaints from former state
wards alleging physical and sexual abuse in Salvation Army homes.
They span 50 years from the 1920s to the 1970s.
Child, Youth and Family has appointed a team of five invesitgators.
But there are dozens more people who weren't state wards and who say they too
were abused as children in Salvation Army care.
They've been asking the government to initiate an independent inquiry for
months and say they're upset that Tuesday's announcement won't help them.
The Salvation Army did not even know about the Child, Youth and Family
investigation until told by One News.
It is continuing its own inquiries but many victims say that's not good enough.
"These people, although they're supposed to be religious, they're pretty
cunning in my eyes," says Jack
He says sons can't be blamed for their father's sins, but "the sooner the
Salvation Army admits what happened in the past, the better".