Abuse survivors watch in tears as Katanning hostel of horrors is demolished

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Demolition has begun on what victims call their ‘house of horrors’, in Katanning. The former St Andrews school hostel was the site where serial paedophile Dennis John McKenna abused dozens of boys for decades. Victims, and their supporters gathered to watch as the walls fell, closing a dark chapter of child abuse in WA.

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00:00A moment many had waited years to witness, amidst the tears, joy that a place of pain

00:12and suffering was finally consigned to history.

00:17Every victim, whether you've come forward or not, this is a significant moment that

00:21we wipe this horrid, horrid piece off the face of the earth.

00:28Todd Jeffress and dozens of children at the former St Andrews Hostel suffered at the hands

00:33of convicted pedophile Dennis McKenna in the 1970s and 80s.

00:39For years no one believed that the model citizen that McKenna portrayed, whilst warden of the

00:45boarding hostel, was actually an unchecked predator.

00:49Gary Newby lived at the hostel in 1978 and even his own father didn't believe McKenna

00:57was a monster.

00:58Because he built up this facade of the perfect bloke, you know, he had the fictitional fiancée

01:05dying tragically story.

01:08All the mothers loved him, you know, and anybody who kicked up about him was just a troublemaker.

01:16Watching the demolition brought back painful memories for Kay Anderson, the mother of three

01:21boys who suffered under McKenna, two of them later took their lives.

01:26We have not had anyone from the council say sorry to these students, ex-victims.

01:32Also watching was Peter Watson, who started asking in Parliament what was being done after

01:37three ex-students came forward to tell their stories.

01:41It was only after they met with some of the other guys that they realised they weren't

01:47the only ones, it affected a lot of people.

01:50And lending support to the victims, the Supreme Court judge who oversaw the 2012 inquiry,

01:56revealed to the world one of WA's worst cases of child abuse.

02:02I think the fact that this house of horrors is being demolished, it is a symbol of good

02:08triumphing over evil.

02:11As a way forward, a monument is planned for future generations.

02:16We've got a memorial that we want to put forward to, you know, to I guess signify what happened

02:22here and in remembrance of the lads that haven't found a way through.

02:27McKenna is currently serving 20 years behind bars.

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