Intellectually disabled sex abuse victims are still waiting for justice

Reposted from a story by: Chief Court Reporter Sean Fewster  From: The Advertiser  January 08, 2013 10:30PM

 

Brian Perkins, a former bus driver for intellectually disabled Catholic students. Source: The Advertiser

IT took a decade to bring paedophile bus driver Brian Perkins to justice and another 10 years to assess the damage to his intellectually disabled victims.

Yesterday, the Catholic Church – which allowed Perkins to serve as a volunteer – asked that more than $7 million worth of compensation claims be postponed for as long as five years.

The church told the District Court the only way it could gather evidence to counter the claims was to psychologically study the victims over an extended period.

The parents of the victims, who are in their 70s, fear they may die before the claims are resolved – leaving their now-adult children without carers. Between 1987 and 1991, Perkins filmed and sexually assaulted 36 students attending St Ann’s Special School, Marion, where he volunteered as a bus driver and teacher.

He escaped arrest until 2002, was jailed a year later and died in custody.

 

In 2003, Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson offered “unconditional” payouts of $50,000 or $100,000 to 30 families.

Four sets of parents, however, filed claims of between $1 million and $4 million, saying the school and church failed to protect their children.

The parents want the compensation to guarantee ongoing care for  their children after their deaths.

The Advertiser understands that since Perkins’ arrest the victims have received counselling through Yarrow Place.

That process has been complicated because the victims struggle to communicate verbally. Court papers assert that counsellors believe the victims’ psychological harm was exacerbated because their trauma went untreated for 10 years.

Yesterday, the church said it needed to hire its own experts to assess the victims. It conceded that could take up to five years, and suggested the case be postponed until it had been done.

Lawyers for the parents objected, saying it would cause the lawsuits to drag on indefinitely.

They said the church had already demanded the release of their clients’ medical records, causing delays. They asked the court to instead appoint a judge to oversee the claims.

That judge, they said, should act as a mediator and steer the claims towards resolution.

The case was adjourned until April

Wheelchair Bound Amputee Robbed and Dumped in Street

Original Story & Video Here: http://wreg.com/2013/01/07/wheelchair-bound-amputee-robbed-and-dumped-in-street/

 

(FORREST CITY, AR)  When Charles Jones was 19 years old he wandered on some train tracks when he was hit and never walked again. Now he rolls through Forrest City in a wheelchair collecting aluminum cans. He uses the cash and a disability check to try to get by.

“I have a lil money but it goes to my bills”, said Jones

 

      It was enough to draw the attention of one man who snuck up behind Jones Thursday night, knocked him right out of his wheelchair and starting digging in his pockets.

 

“He called me names and said ‘I don’t know what you got on you but you’re going to drop everything you got on you’”, said Jones.

   Seventy three dollars, that’s what Jones had, the man took every dollar, smashed Jones wheelchair and took off. He left the man with no legs lying in the middle of the street.

 

“I was hollerin’, I was hollerin’ telling somebody to call the police” added Jones

 

  Somehow he crawled to a door – up some steps and got someone to call 911.  Police had to bring him home where he sat using spare parts from his broken chair and two others trying to hobble something together so he could get around.

 

  It’s not perfect, but it works.  He can’t search for cans anymore but can move a bit. He just wants the man who did this, caught.

Mia’s thoughts– this has happenned to me, in your chair you feel empowered like you can handle anything, but thrown out of your chair on the ground and beaten you are helpless.

Adelaide taxi driver charged with indecent assault

Reposted from a story From: adelaidenow  December 12, 2012 5:13PM

 

A TAXI driver accused of covering on board security cameras, then sexually assaulting an intellectually disabled woman in the southern suburbs, has been suspended and bailed to appear at Holden Hill Magistrates Court next month.

The northern suburbs man, 53, was also charged with one count of dishonest exploitation of a position of advantage and a count of interfering with a security camera.

“Police will allege the offending occurred between November 29 and December 1, with the man covering security cameras and then indecently assaulting an intellectually disabled woman during a journey in the southern suburbs,” a police spokesman said

Bathroom Line Jumper beats wheelchair bound woman

Wanted For Assault

Description of crime- At approximately 2pm on Friday the 16^th of march 2012, While waiting for access to a disabled bathroom in the Chelsea markets on 9^th ave and 15^th st in Manhattan New York, Mia G Vayner Author and disabled Advocacy blogger was punched and thrown from her wheelchair and landed on the cement floor with her toes caught in the door jamb between steel wrapped brick and a solid steel door. The assailant still screaming that no one was using the toilet before her just because  it was a disabled bathroom and they were in a wheelchair as she repeatedly with great force slammed the door on Mia’s toes.  As Mia lay on the floor screaming for help and screaming from the pain of the repeated injury to her toes, with over 2 dozen tourists standing by doing nothing to stop the vicious attack.Finally One young woman who was beautiful and dressed like she stepped of the pages of vogue, came running and screamed at the people gawking That they should be ashamed of themselves and  proceeded to help Mia up, She was  crying  and in distress. While on the floor Mia attempted to dial 911, only then did the assailant flee.

Description of the assailant- 5ft2 inches to 5ft 4 inches, Weight- 140 lb – 160lbs, AGE – 65 yrs of age with  white hair, In short your typical grandmother.

 If you looked at her you wouldn’t think she was capable of extreme physical violence, yet on this Friday simply because she had no respect for the law no decency in her dealings with the disabled, in this instance she acted more like a gang affiliated delinquent thug than AARP card carrying grand ma.

This isn’t a joke folks, I wish it was and  I’m not writing my next book, this is what the police wanted poster would read like.

Today I was waiting to use the disabled facilities at the Chelsea markets, when a elderly but physically agile senior citizen decided the bathroom clearly marked for disabled use was hers for the taking even if she had to beat her way through the disabled and wheelchair bound to achieve her goal.  I was punched, tipped from My chair  then I was screamed at. I had my toes slammed in a steel door more than 6 times, as 2 dozen tourists looked on. The poster folks should be a wanted poster for a violent criminal, but when you think about it, This is a disgusting indictment of the mentality of today’s citizen who would rather film my beating for you-tube than step in and stop it.