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. On iJednesday, 19th Oct.ober, 1.%3, Ame Di.rrech and l i.ntervlewed Leonle , ·1ighc.'s si.ster, l;J¥1114M, at her parents' home,~­Leonie herself 111<1s present during the tatter par~

!:li114D.1 sai.d that Leonie bad told her about Bert touching her breas.P!c.!iis'!!!P.!!_O!!OI and a&fuc. belng i.n anct out of het· room all. the t irre. According to i:J#l1J..i.1iJ ~had sai.d Bert. was doing the same to or.her girls at Bethcar. ~ said Leonie t:old he1· these c.hings at Mul.l.umbimby in January, 1983. Anne and l did riot lnterv Lew konie directly on thi.s oc a. ion as her nut.her ~vas not at horre at the ti.1.-e of t.he Lnt.erviet.J w· th • I • • , and her facher 1.Jas sti 11 asleep in the home. Hcwevel", • I • vo untaril.y asked Leoni.e ln our presence if she oanc.ed to tel.l us anyc llng al.loL1t the allegations she had prev i ously mo.de and she said she di.d not want c.o say anything.

Later on the same rorr,ing Anne Di.JTech and myself saw Leonie's mother at Bourke Com11uni.ty Welfare Office and ~vi.ch her assisu;nce ar..tei~1pr..s were made to interview Leon le in her presence ac. Bourke lligh School. However, this would h.s.ve been exr..raordi.nary difficult as it was an inter-school sports day and Cobar and Ny1·,gan High Schools' sportir:q tea.r.\S al."'.cl follm>1Crs were also present ac. Bourke High School that day. i:J!•m+il#I• approached Leoni.: in the middle cf an extremely crohded playground ana asked her c.o cor;ie and talk with us but she ref.used . 1 felt th.;it, in the circumstances, 1,-e could not take the matter further on thac. day as t.o cause a scene with Leonie unwilling to be intervie1"ed Lr, the playground would have been er1tlrely inapprnprLate. It is certain that Leonie will be r~st unwi.lli.og c.o provide any Eure.her information eLther c.o ourselves or t.he Police .

Mowever, if approached by the Police, and if agreeable to giving evidence in relation to her husband ' s actlvi.cLes, Edie Gord::>n may kr.ow mora. (I doubt thou. gh whether at law in c.h.ese cLrcLU1ist.ances she i!i a COiM!ljte wltness J. Anne Dimech feels t.hat., i.f approached, both Leonie and • mJm and c.he other girls at. Ber.hear 1iey be able c.o tell nol."e .

The allegations we:re di.scussed over the phone wlth Detective Sergeanc Brl.an Rope on c.he 21st O::tober , 1983 and he suggested c.ha c. the i1\3tr.<==r bE: placed in the hands of Sergeant Bi U Galvin of che Police Atx:>rigi.r.al LLalson Unit foL- lnvesc.igatior. . Bill Galvin has conc.acr.ed ms subsequently and will atter.td .Regional Office at Dubbo to di.Seuss these all.egations with you and i on the 2nd December, 1983. He will be p1-oceec1ing c.hereafte r to Bc,urke and Brewat-rina \\here he will be able to make further e~qulrles, lf these are considered warr.anted ln t.he light of the paucity or evidence to hand at t his tine.

Sergeanc. Galvin Ls vei:-y nuch aware of c.h.e serious in-plications of r..hese allegations for relationships with ar.ct wLthi.n the Aborigir.al C8iiTI\uoity . 1£ there i.s no t er;OL1gh evldence wh ich can be substantiated in Court , and ar, abortive enquiry is carried out, then Lt can be assured that the co-operatl.on of c.he Gordons in child care matters - mir1L1ml a[. [.he best of times - could not be relied on i.n the fuwre. The political ramifications of such an outcome 1<1Lll also be sigr.Lt Le.ant ln terms of poc.eoti;;L da.mage to relac.ionshlps with sections at l east or [.he Alx>riginal commmit.y, ,,t1Lch have been carefully bull t up in recent years . Ho•vever, not to invest.lgate these allegations folly - even if there is no substance to tJiem - is to leave chLldn~n ac. Bec:hcar in an L1nacceptable ''at risk" situac.ion.

Recom1;endaLions:

1) That the available evidence be placed ln the hands or :;,ergeant. Galvi.n dL1ri.ng his visi.t to this Regional Office on 2nd December 1983 for c.he fullest possible invesr..Lgation, at Police discreti~n .

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NPF.051.001.0229_R_E