Abuse Law – Institutions – Enoggera Boys’ School, QLD

Throughout the 1960s, Enoggera Boys’ School was also home to a trainee policeman who volunteered to help care for the children at Enoggera. This trainee policeman’s name was Mr Graham Noyes. Survivors have reported that Graham Noyes sexually abused the boys on a regular basis. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard from a former state ward, Mr Dennis Dodt, who reported that Graham Noyes once pinned Dennis to a bed and forced his penis into Dennis’ mouth until he blacked out. This abuse incident occurred when Dennis was seven years old. In 1993 after finishing school, Dennis reported the abuse by Graham Noyes to a police officer. Several years later, Dennis was contacted by the police and was told the police were investigating Graham Noyes for child sexual abuse charges. In 1999, Graham Noyes was charged for 53 child sex abuse offences involving ten victims. He was acquitted three times but was ultimately found guilty in the fourth trial.  

The Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions in 1998-1999 received submissions from former residents of the Enoggera Boys’ Home claiming they suffered discrimination and feelings of stigmatisation at school attached to being a ‘Home boy’. It was the type of clothes worn by the residents that made them easily identifiable. The boys wore the home “uniform” and it was also claimed that they had to do this without wearing underwear. 

In March 2017, at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse it was reported that the Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane was subject to more complaints than any other Anglican diocese. 

We are specialist abuse lawyers and can help you receive acknowledgement, meaningful apology and financial resolution from those institutions and systems of power that failed to protect you from harm. If you would like advice in relation to a childhood or adult sexual, physical and/or psychological/emotional abuse claim in any jurisdiction in Australia, please reach out to the author, Emily Wright, at Littles Lawyers today. 

Further Abuse Law information written by our Emily Wright can be found on our website.