Esther Foundation inquiry: WA dept placed at least five women in rehab facility at centre of shock allegations

At least five young women were placed in the now-defunct Esther Foundation by the Department of Communities – and potentially as many as 14 – while two “senior executive members” spent more than a year employed at the charity despite not possessing a valid Working with Children Card. The revelations are contained in the Department of Communities submission to a parliamentary inquiry focused on the Christian rehabilitation facility, which is the subject of damning allegations of physical, sexual and psychological abuse against the teenagers and young females it was meant to be supporting. The probe was established in April on the recommendation of Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk after multiple former residents came forward – some of them publicly – with stories of their alleged abuse at the hands of Esther Foundation staff. The long-running institution was placed into administration earlier this year following claims residents – some as young as 14 – had been sexually assaulted, illegally restrained, had their medication withheld and been given medical diagnosis by staff without formal qualifications. In a written submission to the ongoing inquiry, the Department of Communities revealed a review of its database indicated five “young people” had been formally referred to the Esther Foundation by the agency between 2005 and March 2020. Nine more were recorded as residing at Esther Foundation “but Communities is not able to determine who initiated contact (i.e. if the young person self-referred and the placement was endorsed or if Communities initiated the referral).” One additional women was recorded as having self-referred to the Kalamunda-based rehab facility “with this referral endorsed by Communities”. The Communities submission also revealed two “senior executive members” spent more than a year working at the Esther Foundation without a Working with Children Card, with an investigation sparked by “internal intelligence” in mid-2017. “Following this contact, an investigation was commenced, focusing on two senior executive members within the organisation,” the submission said. “The allegation was that they were working in child-related work without holding a current Working with Children Card. “At the conclusion of the investigation, breaches against both persons were identified for failing to hold a Working with Children Card whilst carrying out child-related work in late 2014 through to early 2016. “Both persons had previously held a Working with Children Card (including at the times of the previous proactive audits) but had allowed them to expire. They subsequently renewed their Working with Children Cards in October 2016.” The submission also details the extent of WA Government’s financial support for the Esther Foundation, which totalled more than $5 million between 2007 and 2018. The bulk of that was the $3.9 million purchase of the former St Emilie’s Convent site in Kalamunda in 2010, which was then leased to the Esther Foundation on a peppercorn basis and became the group’s primary residential facility. In 2018, $790,000 was spent purchasing a second property in Maida Vale which was also leased to the Esther Foundation on favourable terms. In addition, the Pentecostal-linked organisation was the recipient of a $3.5 million Lotterywest grant to support the redevelopment of the convent site in 2012. The former Morrison Government also handed the Esther Foundation a $4 million Federal grant in 2019. LIFELINE 13 11 14