Note how the politically compromised Murdoch-owned Courier-Mail have refused to raise the sensitive issues discussed below:
Quote: Five independents, One Nation and Liberal members will join the Nationals in an attempt to force the state government to establish an independent inquiry into the now-closed John Oxley Youth Detention Centre.
Mr Springborg called for an inquiry after it was revealed that statements attributed to a former Minister about the age of an alleged pack rape victim and circumstances surrounding her treatment in John Oxley had been seriously misleading....
The Premier also said she was the same girl who “was the alleged victim in the 14 May 1988 alleged pack rape incident” – an incident which took place during an excursion to the Mount Barney National Park.....
“A National Party-led government … instituted an inquiry into the John Oxley Centre but the critical evidence was shredded by the Goss Government with the support of a number of Ministers who still sit at the Beattie Cabinet table,” he said....
He said some of the people involved in the John Oxley/Heiner Inquiry matter were still working in government today.
Quote: She (the rape victim) also speaks with some of the staff and before leaving the police record in their notebooks, which they get the girl to sign, that she does not want any further action taken.
The staff record that she made this decision because of the time it would take for the matter to come to court and because she was being threatened in connection with what happened at the Lower Portals.
There are no records of any suggestion that the girl might be removed to a safe environment.
Reports are prepared for senior offi cers and eventually the Minister of the day is advised that a girl was “interfered with” on a picnic but it is unlikely she will fall pregnant, although there is a chance the media may get hold of the story.
And that was the end of the matter.
Editor’s note: When my fi rst story on what had happened to this girl appeared, the Criminal Justice Commission was asked to investigate. The CJC Chairman said there was no offi cial misconduct involved because “at the time” the police had been called and the girl had been examined by a doctor.
However, neither of these things happened “at the time” ... they didn’t happen for three days!
Quote: Mr Foley said in light of the new information concerning the rape, the argument used by the Premier in rejecting the need for an inquiry - that the matter had been investigated more times than he had had “hot dinners” - was no longer applicable.....
“If it had been investigated properly we wouldn’t still be talking about it,” Ms Cunningham said.
Gympie Independent Elisa Roberts said she would support an inquiry “absolutely 100 per cent”, and that the whole matter was “absolutely appalling”.
She said she could not believe the government of the day had shredded documents relating to allegations of child abuse, and that there should have been a public outcry.
“Any government that does that should be sacked,” Ms Roberts said.
“We live in a democracy … or supposedly we do.”
“You can’t pick and choose when you want to be democratic,” she said....
Documents written at the time show John Oxley manager, Peter Coyne, informed his superiors of the May 1988 incident.
However, when contacted, neither could recall details of the matter.....
The falsehoods also revealed the failure of those who had a responsibility to investigate crime, Kevin Lindeberg said.
“In my view it’s open to conclude it’s a tip of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, because I am aware that the assault against the girl falls into the category of criminal paedophilia,” he said.
Mr Lindeberg said he was very concerned about the integrity of the system, because there were people still working in the public sector who must have known the truth for 15 years but had never said a word.
“What reliance can the public have in what the government is telling them about the welfare of children in State care?” he said. Mr Lindeberg said that parliament should be recalled immediately to appoint a Special Prosecutor who could get to the bottom of the matter.
“There is a maxim ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’,” he said.
He also described the government’s action in fighting the girl’s claim for compensation as ‘immoral’.
“And it’s another example of how far the Queensland government will go to prevent the truth from coming out,” he said.
“So it’s using all the forces of the State to prevent this girl from getting justice.” Mr Lindeberg was also critical of the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) which had previously claimed to have investigated matters surrounding the John Oxley centre but had cleared all involved of wrongdoing. Mr Lindeberg said the Commission and others had claimed over the years that the John Oxley matter had been investigated “to the nth degree” but once again, he said, the Premier’s answer meant this was clearly not the case.