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    Elim - The House of Horrors

    Elim - the House of Horrors

    As Told by Women who Spent Time there as Unmarried Mothers

    Christine's Tale

    Many women were forced into Elim to spend time with the staff who were supposed to be looked up to. Instead the girls were met with brutality in it's worst form. Brutality, assault, kidnapping and coercion to young children was a crime against humanity. When many were saying it was in the best interests of the child - weren't these young girls, children themselves????? Christine suffered herself, including being subjected to annihilation.

    The Salvation Army was supposed to be there for people who needed them. The reason I have used "annihilation" to describe what Christine and other young women went through for many years, is that the Salvos used their authoritative powers to destroy these young women and to defeat them totally. They succeeded in one sense - many of these women now live in the not so wonderful world of depression. Depression which is so bad that it is destroying these women and may possibly do so for the rest of their lives. Now with the help of support groups such as Adoption Origins Tasmania - these women are learning to fight back in a hope that they will be able to destroy the Salvos and to tell their tales so other young girls are not put through the abusive form of coercion that the Salvation Army inflicted upon many young girls.....

    Christine has also decided to tell us how she was treated at Elim. Christine has been fighting her own battles in a hope that one day her daughter may let her see her grand children - all because the Salvos decided that her daughter should be taken from her and the signing of concealed papers under duress.

    When Christine arrived at Elim the formalities were that there were none. No next of kin was asked for so if anything should have happened to her - well who would they contact????

    "Even though I paid my way and had cash, I was given a tongue lashing by the Matron about expecting people to keep me. When I pointed out that I was paying my own way - there was no apology.

    There was no consideration taken when asking the circumstances of the pregnancy. I could have been raped or it could have been incest - no one cared - there was no special care taken at all.

    There were no medical questions asked - they didn't enquire as to whether I had any allergies, whether I was a diabetic (and if I was- well tough luck) - they didn't take into consideration any details that may have been of benefit for me whilst I was there or for my baby, later on in life.

    We were allowed to go for a walk on Sunday afternoons only when we were pregnant.

    We never ate sugar at home - probably because we couldn't afford it - anyway rice, macaroni etc were always served with cups and cups of sugar already added. I asked for mine without sugar, but like everything else if you didn't like the way it was dished up, you went without. I went without even though I loved them. Thank god I wasn't a diabetic.

    We were made to work in the laundry. Some of the girls had swollen legs and suffered from back aches on the cement floors. Some were very big and uncomfortable... but if you were breathing - you worked.

    No one was allowed to talk to the other girls, we wern't allowed to use our given names if your name was unusual then you were given a plain name like Mary, Jane, Betty.... I was Christine 3....

    The Staff at Elim did not even think about education on what to expect with the birth process...

    In my tenth hour of labour, I was restrained in a chair at the breakfast table, I think either to prove who was in charge or to fit in their schedule

    I was abused because I told staff my water had broken, and they were doing this while I was on my knees in a pool of blood.

    Staff then tied me to a bed and left the room. They ignored my calls for help. I gave birth under these conditions by myself. Staff entered the room and managed to catch my daughter in mid air as she slid over the side of the bed.

    No Doctor was present or called for even though one was listed on my file as being there. It was also listed that I had haemorrhaged.

    At no time did anyone discuss adoption or any questions about my childres future care with me.

    I did not ask to see a welfare worker even though I didn't really know what I was going to do - I was not told at any time what my options were or what support there may have been available for me.

    The welfare worker came for about 10 to 15 minutes one day and 2 minutes the next to have the papers signed. At no time was adoption discussed in full or any of the alternatives that may have been available for me and my child.

    AT NO TIME WAS I ALLOWED TO READ WHAT I WAS SIGNING - IT WAS COVERED

    AT ALL TIMES I WAS TREATED LIKE I WAS INFERIOR AND A SIMPLETON - THE WHOLE THING WAS A POWER PLAY BY THE SALVOS......"

    I suppose in a sense it was all hit or miss with the Salvos, as long as they got the next baby that they could pass on, they were happy.... but it does make you think that if they were looking out for their young "cargo" why were the girls treated like this when it could have cost them a baby with their actions... and the best interests of the child - who's best interests were they looking out for?

    As told by Christine - written by Toni Livesey

     

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