http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/06/2236809.htm?section=australia

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Child sex abuse: 'Lock bastards up' urges Rann
Posted Tue May 6, 2008 1:31pm AEST
Updated Tue May 6, 2008 5:41pm AEST


Former judge Ted Mullighan has reported on widespread sex abuse of children in
Aboriginal communities of SA and outlined ways to make communities safer. (ABC
News)

a.. Video: First Cut: Macklin announces funding for Mullighan recommendations
(ABC News)
b.. Video: Lowitja O'Donoghue laments the protection of offenders in
Indigenous communities and urges openness. (ABC News)
c.. Audio: An edited extract of Ted Mullighan telling the media about his
abuse report. (ABC News)
d.. Audio: Help us 'lock these bastards up' is the message SA Premier Mike
Rann gives a news conference. (ABC News)
e.. Map: Ceduna 5690
A report from an inquiry led by former judge Ted Mullighan on child sexual abuse
in remote Aboriginal communities has produced disturbing findings.

It has been tabled in the South Australian Parliament, with the Government
promising to act immediately on several of the 46 recommendations.

The SA Premier has also urged people in the communities to bring forward hard
evidence on those committing the abuse so that "we can lock these bastards up".

Following on from an earlier child abuse investigation involving former state
wards, the latest inquiry spent 10 months investigating communities in the far
north-west of SA.

It found child sexual abuse on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjtjatjara (APY)
Lands to be widespread.


Fear of retribution

Mr Mullighan says the inquiry uncovered 269 cases of abuse involving 141
children, some as young as seven, but no victims came forward because of a fear
of retribution.

SA Premier Mike Rann has told Parliament that the Government will act
immediately on recommendations including the posting of eight extra police
officers and two extra child protection officers to the APY Lands.

The Government will also look at ways to restrict access to pornography in the
Lands.

Mr Rann says the findings are deeply disturbing, with sickening details of the
abuse of young Aboriginal children.

He says extra facilities will also be built for police on the APY Lands.

"The injection of extra police recognises the need to keep the community safe
both the Anangu and for the workers," he said.

"It will also ensure that we crack down on the trafficking of drugs and
alcohol."

The policing and social welfare boost has joint federal and state support.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, says the Commonwealth has
acted immediately on some of the inquiry recommendations by contributing $19
million for more police facilities and child protection officers.

"These are very, very serious circumstances that especially children face on the
APY Lands and we have acted with the SA Government to do an immediate response,"
she said.

"What we will also do now is move forward in a task force to make sure that the
other recommendations in the inquiry are also addressed."

Both Mr Mullighan and Mr Rann have insisted that the child abuse problem is not
a part of Aboriginal culture.


Hard evidence needed

Mr Rann later told a news conference that Aboriginal communities also need to
help themselves.

"Now that Justice Mullighan has turned the searchlight on what's happening in
terms of the Aboriginal lands, it's important for local leadership," he said.

"It's important for communities and for parents to come forward with hard
evidence of child sexual abuse so that people can be prosecuted.

"Ultimately there can be no alibis or excuses. Ultimately we want to see the
perpetrators being brought to justice."

Mr Rann is urging the communities to now work with police.

"There are people in the lands who know the identities of the perpetrators -
they would not give the evidence to Justice Mullighan."

Indigenous elder Lowitja O'Donoghue has echoed Mr Rann's call for hard evidence
from community members.

"I'm very concerned of course about code of silence, and while we can criticise
governments and so on, we really also need to have a concern that really it is
the APY Council, it's also the community that has to be able to actually report
and speak out about the sexual abuse as the know it," she said.

"So really I think that the APY Council ought to have enough power and
responsibility to try and get communities to feel that they can speak out
without retribution."

She says the latest report has again confirmed what many have known for a long
time.

Four years ago she travelled to the lands as a government adviser with Tim
Costello.

Their report described appalling conditions and despair on the lands.

Ms O'Donoghue says she is saddened that things still have not changed.

"Governments don't really have a good track record of responding," she said.

"It is really promises, they don't respond quickly enough and they take too
long."


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