Honora and Edda
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.
Honora, late teens, has intellectual disability and sensory disorder.
As a child she bounced from foster home to foster home.
‘She came to me at eight-years-old,’ Edda told the Royal Commission. ‘She had never fed herself, she was not toilet-trained. She didn't speak, she screamed and lashed out a lot. She was a very angry little eight-year-old.’
Edda and her family worked hard to help Honora feel safe. She began to speak, developed skills and became independent.
‘We love her, have loved her to bits.’
About three years ago, Edda needed to visit family so she took Honora to a respite centre.
A couple of days later, Edda received a call from the respite manager. Honora had made allegations of inappropriate behaviour from one of the male participants. Edda was given the impression it ‘was something very minor’ and the manager told her the participant involved would be removed the next day.
Edda advised the manager to report the allegations to police.
A few days later, police rang Edda and asked her what she wanted them to do. She suggested they speak to Honora because she is very verbal, has a good memory for detail and would be able to provide an accurate account of what happened.
But police didn’t speak to Honora.
A week later Edda arrived home and picked Honora up from respite.
‘Everything that happened to her came out of her mouth. It was a terrible, terrible story.’
About an hour after Edda dropped Honora off, the respite centre had agreed to accommodate a man in his 40s with a history of prior sexual assaults.
Later that night, in full view of the other participants, he sexually assaulted Honora and physically restrained her. Honora called out to staff who were in a locked staff room. She managed to get away and banged on the staffroom door.
Staff accused her of lying and sent her to her room.
‘She had a big meltdown, throwing things and screaming.’
The next day, the man sexually assaulted Honora again.
‘She wasn't believed, she was told off. She was just berated for making up stories,’ Edda said.
Staff told Honora to go and have a shower.
While she was in the shower the man sexually assaulted Honora again.
The man sexually assaulted Honora five times during that weekend.
Edda supported Honora to make a formal complaint to police and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
But police never formally interviewed Honora or talked to the man.
‘They had lots of information but there was really nothing they could do.’
Edda discovered the respite centre had received a substantial amount of money to accommodate the man at short notice.
‘The least they could do was provide an extra staff member to make sure he was supervised – even though it should never have happened,’ Edda said.
‘They took no steps to protect her, even after her third disclosure.’
The respite centre never took responsibility for what happened and never apologised to Honora.
Child protection said they would launch a civil action against the centre on Honora’s behalf, but never did.
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.