Latest News
POSTED 28-05-2015
Royal Commission scrutinises the role of Cardinal George Pell in Ballarat
The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse has been hearing evidence from convicted paedophile Gerard Ridsdale. The 81-year-old former priest is serving lengthy prison terms, having abused at least 50 boys over 30 years.
POSTED 22-04-2015
Sisters of Mercy leader didn’t listen to sexual abuse victims
The Sisters of Mercy leader admitted she was less than compassionate when sexual and physical abuse victims first started speaking out.
Not once when the allegations of abuse at Neerkol Orphanage first came to light, did Sister Berneice Loch attempt to contact victims, the Royal Commission panel heard yesterday.
POSTED 21-04-2015
Former Bishop apologises for failing sex abuse victims
He failed the victims of sexual abuse at Neerkol Orphanage and he will be sorry for the rest of his days.
The former Bishop of Rockhampton, Bishop Brian Heenan apologised unequivocally yesterday for the way he responded in the 1990s to allegations of child sex abuse at Neerkol Orphanage.
POSTED 21-04-2015
Church was prepared to pay for pedophile priest's headstone
The former Bishop of Rockhampton has apologised for the way he and the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton acted when allegations of child sex abuse were made in the early 1990s.
Bishop Heenan has given his evidence to the commission and has stepped down from the stand.
POSTED 21-04-2015
Historical Neerkol records destroyed in Brisbane floods
You may find yourself coming to several road blocks when you dig into Neerkol Orphanage's dark and horrific past.
Some Neerkol Orphanage records, kept in a basement in a Brisbane city building, were destroyed in 1974 when a flood swept through the State's Capital.
POSTED 21-04-2015
Sister Berneice Loch won't rule out investigation of directed
THE Royal Commission has heard Sr Loch would not rule out an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against former orphanage employee Kevin Baker.
Sr Loch admitted she wasn't proactive in her approach to the allegations that Mr Baker indecently touched a boy who lived at the orphanage.
POSTED 20-04-2015
Mark’s mission to honour kids
May the sun shine upon you and bring you warmth. May the winds that blow across this land bring you peace. May the stars that shine so bright spell out your names now and forever. For you are forgotten no more.
In a serene clearing off the Capricorn Hwy, gold plaques etched with this memorial message and the names of 110 children are mounted into stone boulders surrounded by what will grow to be a beautiful garden.
POSTED 20-04-2015
Orphanage victims frustrated over National Redress Scheme
There is growing frustration that the inquiry into child sexual abuse will not be able to deliver an adequate national redress scheme to compensate victims.
Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Truth Justice and Healing Council speaks to RN Breakfast's Ellen Fanning from Rockhampton.
Click here for the complete interview-ABC radio 20 April 2015
POSTED 20-04-2015
State should take some responsibility: Allaway
Although he will never quite get justice, Allan Allaway wants to see the State Government take some responsibility for the misconduct at Neerkol Orphanage.
"If it wasn't for those so-called authorities at the State Children's Department (at the time), there wouldn't be any physical or sexual abuse at Neerkol," he said.
