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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Fight continues for memorial to victims of one of WA's worst paedophiles

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Victim-survivors and advocates are still fighting for adequate recognition of suffering over a decade after serial pedophile Dennis John McKenna's conviction in Western Australia.
  • McKenna abused dozens of boys at St. Andrew's Hostel in Katanning during the 1970s and 80s.
  • While the education department agreed to demolish the hostel and fund a memorial, disputes over its prominent placement continue, with the local shire blocking requests.

More than ten years after serial pedophile Dennis John McKenna was convicted for horrific crimes in Western Australia, survivors and advocates continue to campaign for proper acknowledgment of their suffering. McKenna abused numerous boys in the 1970s and 80s while leading St. Andrew's Hostel, a student boarding facility in Katanning.

We want that awareness of child sexual abuse out there to prevent it ever happening again.

— Kaye AndersonAn advocate explains the purpose behind establishing a memorial.

In August 2024, the education department committed to demolishing the former hostel site and allocated $750,000 for a memorial in Katanning. However, a working group's proposal to place the memorial in the town's all-ages playground was rejected by the local shire. Advocates argue that the alternative locations offered are in backstreets with minimal foot traffic, hindering the goal of raising awareness about child sexual abuse to prevent future occurrences.

The locations that they've given us around Katanning are in the back streets where there is no foot traffic.

— Kaye AndersonAnderson expresses dissatisfaction with proposed sites for the memorial.

Kaye Anderson, whose three sons attended the hostel and whose eldest two reported abuse before their deaths, expressed frustration. The working group is now considering placing the memorial outside Katanning to bypass local opposition and ensure a visible location. Katanning Shire President Kristy D'Aprile stated the council is proceeding cautiously due to the sensitive nature of the issue, emphasizing a desire for an outcome that benefits both victims and the community.

Obviously it's a really sensitive issue.

— Kristy D'AprileThe Katanning Shire President comments on the challenges of the memorial project.

D'Aprile mentioned the need for further consultation with local victims and state government approvals, asserting the shire's commitment to avoiding prolonged trauma. The issue has cast a long shadow over Katanning, and the community seeks to acknowledge its history and move forward constructively. A 2012 inquiry found 11 individuals in Katanning complicit in McKenna's crimes, and the rapist himself had previously been honored by the community before his crimes were exposed.

We want to make the decisions, as do the working group, to ensure the best outcome for both the victims and their families, and the community of Katanning.

— Kristy D'AprileD'Aprile outlines the Shire's approach to the memorial project.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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