A former Ward of the State who was physically and emotionally abused at Sutherland Homes at Diamond Creek in the 1970s has received compensation of $1.8 million.
The man, now in his 60s, sued the State of Victoria and Berry Street, which merged with Sutherland Homes in 1994.
The boy was 10 when, along with his siblings, he was removed from the care of his alcoholic mother.
At Sutherland Homes he was beaten, force fed, dragged by the hair, humiliated for wetting his bed and made to wear went pyjamas all day, punched, kicked, made to eat soap, and called names.
He was also sexually abused by a student social worker living in a caravan on the grounds of the Home.
The claim was complicated by our client’s unrelated learning difficulty.
But the result – compensation of $1.8 million – followed expert assessments of the work he could have done, but for his traumatic experience in care.
For more information contact Jane McCullough on 0451 704 953.
