Rafe
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘These people walk in with this attitude to think they can dominate disabled people. And I have seen it time and time again.’
Rafe, mid-50s, has a cognitive disability.
He started receiving supports from a large disability service provider about five years ago.
Rafe told the Royal Commission that one of the support workers regularly abused him.
The support worker would bend him over her knee and hit him with wooden paddles and wooden spoons.
‘I added up one day that I think she belted me on 17 occasions,’ Rafe said. ‘She made me get on my knees and hold my hands out like a little child, and all this was for drinking a couple more beers than I probably should have drunk.’
After this, she would make him write out lines 100 times about the evils of alcohol.
The support worker regularly made sexual comments to him and spoke to him using sexualised language.
‘She said, “You need to get laid. When was the last time you had a good you-know-what?” It was just continuously things that she would say. And when I was at my weakest point she said, “Do you love me?” And I, unfortunately, I said yes, but I wasn't aware what I was saying at the time.’
The support worker always kissed and cuddled participants when saying goodbye or hello.
‘I have since found out that you're not really allowed to do that.’
Sometimes the support worker made him give her cash in exchange for taking him places.
She told him she took other clients to her house and asked if he wanted to go.
Rafe discovered she would get her children to ‘babysit’ the clients while she left the house to do other things.
He said the support worker should have been suspended for breaking the rules.
‘The fact is, she's gone outside the rules and made her own rules.’
Rafe made a complaint to the provider but they ‘didn’t consider the issue to be very serious’.
He then reported the support worker to police. Rafe said police treated him badly and yelled at him. They told him it would be his word against hers and because he had a disability people would believe her.
Rafe has moved to a new provider, who is better.
‘If you've got a problem you can give them a ring and they're quite helpful. And if there's any problems people are dealt with like they should be,’ he said.
‘This company doesn't allow any physical touching of their clients whatsoever, it's one of their rules.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.