STAT.0343.001.0001_R

Name

Address

Roya l Com miss ion into Institutional Responses to Ch ild Sexual Abuse

Statement

Known to the Royal Commission

Occupation Disability Pensioner

Date l f) l q l 14

1. This statement made by me accurately sets out the evidence that I am prepared to give to the

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The statement is true and

correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

2. My full name is •

3. I was born in 1967 and I am 46 years of age. I have lived in Brewarrina all of my life. I have three

brothers. My dad had another family and he had four children with his other partners.

4. I went to Brewarrina Central School in Brewarrina. I liked school. I wanted to be a day carer when

I grew up. I lil<e looking after children.

Admission to Bethcar Children's Home

5. When I was about 11 years old, my mother started to drink heavily. When she was drunk, she

would sometimes give me a flogging. Usually it would be if I did something wrong, and she would

hit me. I did not see my dad very much because he would travel around working but when he did

return home, I remember that my mum and dad would fight a lot, so I would go to my Auntie's

house.

6. When I was about 11 years old, I was taken by the Welfare Department. They came and removed

me from school. I remember that Terry Madden (Terry) was the welfare man. I liked hifY/ and I felt

that I would be safe when he took me. I did not want to go with Welfare, but I remember Terry

Signature ,AIH

Witness: ... .. ~UJ~W ....................... .

STAT.0343.001.0002_R

Statement in the matter of Bethcar Children's Home Page 2 of 7 Statement of • continued

saying that I had to go with him because I was running away all the time. This was usually when I

was going to my Auntie's place, which was still in Brewa"ina.

Life at Bethcar Children's Home

7. I was taken directly to Bethcar Children's Home ('Bethcar') in Brewarrina, New South Wales.

was 11 years old. I felt that I would be safe at Bethcar.

8. Bethcar was run by Bert Gordon (Bert) and Edith Gordon (Edie) . They were my foster parents.

Bert's nickname was "Grub". Bethcar was comprised of two residential houses. Bert and Edie lived

in the big house with all of the children. Colin Gibson (Colin) and lived in the

second, smaller house. mill was the daughter of Bert and Edie, and she was ma"ied to Colin.

9. Colin was a short, solidly built Aboriginal man. Colin 's roles at Bethcar included driving the school

bus, fixing the pipes, and operating the pump which pumped water up from the river.

10. While I was at Bethcar, I do not remember anybody from the Government coming to check on the

kids to see if we were OK.

11. I remember that some of the girls at Bethcar would receive special treatment, like having a

bedroom all to themselves with special toys and presents. I am not sure why they were treated

differently, it seems to me that Bert and Edie just had their favourites. I did not receive special

treatment.

12. I used to share a room with Amelia Moore and • They are my mother's sisters, so

they are my Auntie's, though I am a little older than they are.

13. There were daily chores at Bethcar that tile kids had to do. My job was to make tile beds. If I did

not make the boys and girls beds, I would get flogged by Edith. She would hit me with a belt or an

electric jug cord. Usually a flogging involved being hit many times, and I would end up with

bruises and swelling. Usually I was hit across the back of the legs. Sometimes we would rotate

around the jobs. So I might change to cleaning the bathroom, or shining shoes.

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Witness: .... ... ~~ ....... ..... ... . .

STAT.0343.001.0003_R

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Sexual abuse at Bethcar Children's Home

14. One morning, a girl had wet her bed. I knew she would get a hiding with the strap or a jug cord if

this was discovered, so I decided to hide the soiled sheets and put clean sheets on her bed. After I

had finished, Colin entered the bedroom and grabbed me. He touched my boobs and then he

pushed me under the bed. He kept touching my boobs and rubbing my vagina on the outside of

my underpants. I remember that I heard the sound of someone approaching and Colin stopped. I

was scared. I thought I would be safe at Bethcar, but after this incident, I knew that I was not safe.

15. I was in absolute shock and I did not /<now what to do.

16. Immediately afterwards, I attended a bible reading class that Colin was leading. I was so

embarrassed that I could not look at him. Thereafter, wl1en I saw Colin around Bethcar I would feel

sick. I was about 12 years old at the time.

17. I told my Auntie about what happened and she said words to the effect of, "Do not worry about if':

I !<new she was right because I believe if I had told someone, I would just get a hiding.

18. I did not tell anyone about what happened. I had heard other girls say that they had been touched

inappropriately and seen them get a hiding for saying it. No one believed the girls. All the grown­

ups at Bethcar, Bert, Edie, Colin or mill, would say words to the effect of, "She is lying".

Physical abuse at Bethcar Children's Home

19. I remember Bert, Edie, or mill would regularly give us hidings, usually for minor things like not

doing as we were asked. We might be asked to wash the laundry with an old hand-operated

washing machine. One of the parts used to come off and it was hard to use. If I complained that I

couldn't do it, they would flog me and say, "Yes you can." I tried to stay out of trouble.

20. Before I arrived at BetlJCar, I could get away from people who I thought might hurt me, as I could

go to another house where I thought I was safe. At Bethcar, however, I could not go anywhere.

Colin would prowl the halls at night and I could hear him walking around. I would hide under my

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Statement in the matter of Bethcar Children's Home Page4of7 Statement of • continued

bed at night hoping that if he came looking for sex he could not find me. I was afraid to sleep in

case he found me. I was so scared.

Life after Bethcar Children's Home

21. I ran away from Bethcar once because of Colin, but Welfare brought me bacl< to the home. Terry

was still the welfare officer. I don't recall telling Terry why I ran away. I think Terry asked me why

I ran away, but I made something up because I was too scared that it would get back to Bert and

Edie. I left Bethcar as soon as I could. I ran away a second time to Brewarrina but the police told

me that I had to leave town so I went to Bourke and stayed with a family I /<new. I attended school

in Bourke for a little while, but later I returned to Brewarrina. I never went back to Bethcar, but

stayed with family.

22. I was disgusted about what happened to me and I remember I would often see Colin around

Brewarrina. Often, after I saw Colin, I would go and have a drink to mingle with others and to try to

forget.

23. I felt angry about what Colin had done to me. It made me angry that he was conducting bible

readings and carrying on lil<e he was respectable, even though he had sexually abused me. When

I saw him, I would want to smash a bottle and cut him. I still have so much hate in my heart.

24. When I was 18 years old, I had my first son. I have had four children to different fathers, but I

could never care for any of them. My children have been in care for most of their lives. Two of my

children are in gaol, one in Brewarrina and one in Kempsey.

25. Jn or about 1999, I did some relief work at Bulgun Place, a respite care centre, where I helped out

with the residents, but I have not been able to work since then because there are not many jobs in

Brewarrina and I don't have any qualifications.

26. I am very poorly educated and I can barely read or write.

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STAT.0343.001.0005_R

Statement in the matter of Bethcar Children's Home Page Sof 7 Statement of • continued

Impact of child sexual abuse

27. After I left Bethcar, I turned to alcohol to solve my problems and to make the pain go away,

however, it just got worse and worse.

28. I am a heavy smoker and I have a history of drug and alcohol abuse. I have attended numerous

rehabilitation programs. My life has been a hazy existence of grog and drugs and any time when I

am sober I feel great remorse about not being able to look after my children.

29. I blamed myself for what happened at Bethcar.

30. I have made a few suicide attempts, starting when I was about 17 years old. I have felt depressed

all of my life and turned to the grog to ease my feelings.

31. I did not appreciate what depression was until my doctor told me I was suffering from depression.

He put me on tablets and I did not notice any difference. I have stopped taking the tablets.

32. I trust nobody because adults in my life have taken advantage of me and the only time I can cope

with life is when I am drunk or using drugs.

33. I have had a number of relationships with men, many of whom have been physically and sexually

abusive towards me. An incident in 2006 ended with my partner being put in gaol after stabbing

me.

34. I have never had anyone look after me. One of the fathers of my cl1i/dren would hit me and a

former boyfriend also hit me, but this is nothing compared to the hate that I have in my heart for

Colin.

35. I feel sad and scared that my life has turned out as it has. I blame the abuse at Bethcar for all of

my problems.

36. I accept that I have been very traumatised by the incidents of sexual abuse I have experienced.

Signature Witness: ...... ~ ........... ..

STAT.0343.001.0006_R

Statement in the matter of Bethcar Children's Home Page 6of7 Statement of • continued

37. I would like to try and get a house on the coast somewhere away from Brewarrina. I would like to

get my girls back and try to protect them. I think that things happened to them in foster care

because I have asked them if they were abused but they told me it was none of my business.

38. In February 2003, I received a four month suspended sentence for assault. I knew that the only

way to stay out of gaol was to get off the grog so I went to rehab at Orana Haven. I do not think

rehab helps, I need to find the willpower to do it myself.

39. I have been in gaol on a number of occasions, for drunkenness, drink driving, and fighting. I do not

know what is going to happen to me. I am trying to stay off the grog so that I do not stress out as

much.

40. I want my story and the story of Bethcar to be told so that the public knows wl1at happened at

Bethcar.

Criminal prosecution of Colin Gibson

41. About February 2001, I had an interview with Detective Freer in relation to charges against Colin. I

did not understand the purpose of the interview or that Colin was being charged for having

assaulted me at Bethcar.

42. About December 2002, I made a statement at Brewarrina Police Station about Colin. It has been

hard for me in Brewarrina since I made the statement. I have experienced people giving me a hard

time for reporting the incident and they call me a liar. I am not a liar. I know what happened to me.

Victims Compensation

43. I did not know there was a claim I could make for compensation against the State of New South

Wales ('the State') for what happened to me at Bethcar until I was informed by my solicitors at the

Women's Legal Services in 2003.

44. I received about $30,000 in victim's compensation for the assaults on me by Colin Gibson. The

money did not last long. I have no control over my spending and I cannot plan my future.

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STAT.0343.001.0007_R

Statement in the matter of Bethcar Children's Home Page 7 of 7 Statement of • continued

Civil litigation: 2008 - 2013

45. In or about 2008, my solicitors, Women's Legal Services, told me that I might have a claim against

the State for the lack of care of me whilst I was at Bethcar. Before that, I did not know that there

was any time limit in bringing a claim against the State and even to this day I do not fully

understand all of the issues around bringing the claim.

46. It was not until my solicitors told me in about 2008 that I might have a claim against the State for

the things that happened to me at Bethcar that I understood any rights that I might have against

tl1e State for what happened to me at Bethcar.

47. I am glad I went through this process. Women's Legal Services explained the process of the civil

litigation and I found that what they told me was accurate. It was difficult to talk about the abuse

again.

48. I did not really know what to expect as a result of the litigation, but was hoping to get some further

financial compensation. At the end of the process, I received about $107,000. This was more

than I expected to get.

49. I found Women's Legal Services to be very helpful. They guided me through the process and I

relied on their advice. I believe they gave me good advice. I would use their services again if I

had to go through a similar process.

50. The money I received as a result of the litigation process has helped me move on with my life.

Signed:

Date: \ ~ l C\ { \ 4

Witness: · --~~t~.~C ................. ........ .. Date: \0} OJ / 1 L\

Signature witness: ... .... ~e~.~l!Lt~~ ........... ... .