by Adele Chynoweth on 7 March, 2011
The Heiner Affair concerns the 1990 Queensland Goss Government’s shredding of documents relating to child abuse. The documents were compiled as part of an inquiry led by magistrate Noel Heiner. This inquiry was initiated following the rape of a 14 year old girl at the the John Oxley Youth Detention Centre. There is a current call for an independent inquiry into the destruction of the Heiner Inquiry records. More information is available at the Heiner Affair website.
In addition, research about the Heiner affair was also included as part of the Justice Project- an investigation into the abuse of children in Queensland institutions. The Justice Project was an initiative of the staff and students of the School of Journalism and Communication, The University of Queensland.
Thanks Adele for bringing this alive. The Heiner Affair has been surfacing and dissapearing now for some time .Its amazing how low profile this has been kept especially while Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister. It says a lot about politics and journalism of today. There is still power and protection.
Wilma Robb
Hi Wilma
At tafe and we can choose a topic to discuss guess what this is it.
Heiner Affair
I will keep you post as to how this goes.
From Diane Tronc
If you carefully and dilegntly investigate the Heiner Affair webpage, and more generally on the internet, you will note that not only is this scandal lectured about in universities across the globe, but, in 2009, it became a subject to be taught to all senior students in Queensland schools in regard to Business, Communication and New Technology.
It is simply incredible.
It’s like an earthquake waiting to erupt because obviously behind the scenes – as just under the seas and oceans – great forces are at work to keep a lid on this scandal. All their efforts won’t work in the end.
There ought to have been a ROYAL COMMISSION into child abuse of state wards while in state care (similar to SA commission) the fact/s that wern’t considered was the Directors, welfare officers, of the state in fact had a duty of care for the state wards to which they failed any complaints against the state were to be made to the very person/s who failed in the duty of care records were allegedly lost in the Australian Day floods so the Qld police were not able to investgate the allegations of abuse, but a surprise the records were found to verify one who was a state ward when compensation was offered. the lack of integerity re the Forde Inquiry is almost hard to accept that a government would allow cover up of the years of mental, sexual abuse afflicted on defenceless parentless young children who only had the state to turn to. being raped was all part of growing up in state care
A Royal Commission Inquiry is exactly what we want.
NOW
We are all ready to go
And we won’t stop till we get a Royal Commission Inquiry
An opportunity for all Forgotten Australians, a petition is online for all Forgotten Australians to sign.
We seek a Royal Commission https//www.gopetition.com/petition/43920.html
the more signatures we get the better lets show the various State and Federal Governments we are an army and it is bigger than they could imagine.
Hopefully those FA’s who come here to Visit will sign and pass the message on we have waited for too long we need to act.
Many inquiries are conducted throughout this country but still the Forgotten Australians wait for Justice.
Forgotten Australians are now adults, some of them in there thirties, some very elderly. They are survivors of the institutional care system, which was the standard form of out-of-home care in Australia for most of the 20th Century.
The 2004 Inquiry of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee1 estimated that more than 500,000 children have experienced life in an orphanage, home or other form of out-of-home care during the last century in Australia.
On 16 November 2009, the Australian Parliament, through the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, formally acknowledged and apologised for the experiences of Forgotten Australians and Child Migrants, their harsh treatment and their ongoing trauma.
It is hoped that the public recognition of their needs increases awareness and stimulates improved responses from governments, past providers of “care” and the health and welfare community.
https//www.forgottenaustralians.com/images/fabutton.jpg
Please sign the petition https//www.gopetition.com/petition/43920.html
The capacity of any government to manipulate the levers of power to cover-up its own wrongdoing shouldn’t surprise anyone. It is easier to happen in a unicameral system of government like Queensland.
The Heiner Affair involves “an entire Cabinet” and certain senior bureaucrats in what many claim was a serious prima facie illegal act of destroying evidence.
In Queensland we have a network of “mates looking after mates.”
How much longer this scandal can remain unresolved is a question for everyone who believes in the rule of law and that children, especially those in the care of the Crown, should never be permitted to be abused with impunity.
The Heiner affair needs to be re-open and studied by all . If this is the case and it does happen it will open a a Pandora’s Box and our records which have been interfered with also will become a HOT topic . This is why they may feel they are treading on thin ice .Many Politicians and Gov . employees will need to find some good answers as to WHY they have done these things over a very long time .