How Could You?Hall of Shame-Australia-Gary Parker and Wendy Szanyi case

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Australia, ” Gary Parker, 62, and his sister Wendy Szanyi, 56.” attended a hearing which will “question government and non-government groups about the recruitment, assessment and training of carers, the oversight of children in out-of-home care, and the support given to any children who were sexually abused.”

“Mr Parker was nine years old and clearly remembers the day he, his sister and two other siblings were taken away from their parents and split up.

“We were physically taken into the welfare cars with the police there to stop Dad. We were separated from that day,” Mr Parker said.

“Me and my brother in one car, my sister and the baby in the bassinet in another car.”

Ms Szanyi and her younger sister were placed into a foster home where Ms Szanyi says she was sexually abused by her foster father from the age of five.

“He used to take me to all these different places. He used to take me for rides out in the bush where it was isolated and he could do what he wanted,” Ms Szanyi said.

“I used to have to stay awake every single night to listen to see if he was going to come in just so I could try and protect myself.”

She said she felt isolated and powerless to do or say anything to anyone.

“We got food put on the table, we had a roof over our head, we had schooling, but behind those closed doors was just a nightmare,” Ms Szanyi said.

Mr Parker was also sexually abused in one of his foster homes.

“I was only there for a while and I was abused by the son,” he said.

“Basically, he waited until the parents went out and then… Because he was older than me.”

The two only reconnected about 20 years ago, both suffering severe agoraphobia – a fear of being outdoors.

“I’ve been listening to Wendy for 20 years, she’s been listening to me for 20 years. No psychiatrist, psychologist or anyone can fill that void,” Mr Parker said.

Both still hold a lot of anger about what happened to their family and hope that the royal commission will hold the organisations involved to account.

“We were taken away from our family and split up for neglect, and then we were put in a home with a paedophile and a woman that had some mental issues that made our life hell,” Ms Szanyi said.

“There was no support from Welfare to find out what was going on.””

Child abuse royal commission: Siblings ‘sexually abused’ in separate foster homes set to attend inquiry[ABC 3/9/15 by Antonette Collins]

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