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Monday April 07 2008, Media Release

NSW ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL URGES STATE GOVERNMENT TO DOUBLE $30,000 REWARD OFFER TO COMBAT TRUCKIE SEXUAL PREDATORS

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council today urged the state government to match the organisation’s offer of a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of truck drivers allegedly sexually abusing Aboriginal children and youths.

NSWALC’s North West Region Councillor Steve Gordon said the Council was still awaiting a response from the Police Minister, David Campbell, to an official request for dollar for dollar funding to match its reward offer.

“We are obviously hoping that the NSW Government will do the right thing and join with NSWALC in making it clear that these crimes against Aboriginal children and youths will not be tolerated,” Cr Gordon said.

“A larger reward offer would obviously increase the possibility of people coming forward with information leading to the arrest and conviction of these perpetrators of sexual abuse and violence.”

NSWALC’s Governing Council approved payment of a $30,000 reward last month and Chairperson Bev Manton wrote to Mr Campbell and the Australian Trucking Association asking that they match the reward with similar financial contributions.

“We are disappointed that the ATA has decided that it cannot contribute to the reward offer although we welcome the Association’s commitment to promote it throughout the trucking industry,” Cr Gordon said.

“We note that ATA spokesman, Bill McKinley, reportedly said this week ‘we believe that offences that are this serious are best investigated by the police and … the state government must step up to its responsibilities and actually investigate these crimes.

“Mr McKinley also said: ‘It is a tragedy that an organisation like the NSW Land Council are forced to even consider offering these rewards because of the lack of action by the state government’.”

Cr Gordon’s North West region includes the towns of Moree and Bogabilla, where according to an ABC report last, Aboriginal children and youths were being persuaded to have sex with truck drivers in exchange for money. Allegations of drink spiking and rape were also reported.

“Senior politicians have since made claims that this type of sickening abuse and exploitation of our young by truck drivers and other non-Aboriginal workers is also happening in other parts of Australia including Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“It is difficult to believe that this would be allowed to happen, allegedly over a long period of time, if it were non-Aboriginal children and youths who were being the target of sexual predators.

“I think it is long past time that governments all over Australia made it clear that these crimes would not be tolerated and they took stronger action to stamp them out. A decision by the NSW Government to double our reward offer would be a good start in this direction.”

Further information: Paul Molloy (02) 6124 3562 / 0419 690 926