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au/national/crime/survivor-of-alleged-elite-paedophile-ring-including-
former-prime-minister-speaks-out/story-fns0kb1g-1227579834065

crime
Survivor of alleged elite paedophile
ring including former prime minister
speaks out
OCTOBER 28, 201511:39AM

Abuse survivors demand pedophile action

Liz Burkenews.com.au

A WOMAN claiming to be the victim of a “VIP paedophile ring”, which

involved three former prime ministers, has alleged she was prostituted to
“paedophile parties” at Parliament House in Canberra.
Speaking to media in Sydney, Fiona Barnett detailed her alleged abuse by the
alleged elite paedophile ring 40 years ago.
The 45-year-old said she was abused by the ring, which included high-ranking
politicians, police and members of the judiciary, at the age of five and claimed
there were thousands of other victims.
“My experiences were horrific beyond words,” she said. “But the way I’ve been
treated for reporting the crimes I witnessed and experienced has been far worse
than my original abuse experiences.”

Explosive allegations ... Fiona Barnett speaks to the media in Sydney. Pic: Liz Burke.Source:News Corp
Australia

The northern NSW woman went on to detail “hundreds of crimes” she claimed
she had witnessed, including child abduction, torture, rape and murder.
Ms Barnett described the alleged operation as a “very well-coordinated
international paedophile ring”, and said there was a strict hierarchy.
“I was only saved for the VIP paedophiles,” she said.
“It’s a hierarchy, what I witnessed was the very top of the hierarchy.”
Ms Barnett said she “lives in absolute fear” and only decided to speak out
because she “has nothing left to lose”.
She maintains the network is still in operation, and urged Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull to make it a priority to “make the kids safe”.
Ms Barnett said she had taken the allegations to multiple health professionals in
the 1980s, NSW Police in 2008 and approached the Royal Commission in 2013.
She said she and other victims of “VIP” perpetrators were “stonewalled” by
authorities.
ACT Police release a statement this afternoon after Ms Barnett’s press
conference.
“The matter was thoroughly investigated by ACT Policing’s Operation Attest
and there was no evidence to substantiate the complainant’s allegations,” the
statement read.
“The matter was finalised and the complainant was notified on April 30, 2015.”
Leader of child sex abuse advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused
by Priests (SNAP) Nicky Davis said Ms Barnett’s alleged experience was not
unique.
“SNAP has heard from a number of survivors of very similar offences who have
been raped, who have been tortured, whose perpetrators include the most senior
people in Australia.”
SNAP says allegations have been ignored by the Royal Commission and
government officials.
The group claims many survivors have spoken to police, the Royal Commission
into Child Sex Abuse, politicians and government officials and had produced
“considerable” evidence.
“There are a large number who want to speak out,” Ms Davis told news.com.au.
“These are some of the worst crime committed by the most powerful against the
most vulnerable.”
Allegations of the elite paedophile ring surfaced in a Senate estimates hearing
earlier this week, with Liberal senator Bill Heffernan claiming he had obtained
a police list containing the names of 28 prominent people.
Senator Heffernan wouldn’t name names on Tuesday but called on Attorney-
General George Brandis to expand the child abuse Royal Commission to
include the legal fraternity, as well as a former prime minister.
He told the Senate estimates hearing in Canberra he had provided the
Commission with documents, one naming the alleged paedophiles including “a
whole lot of prominent people.”
Senator Heffernan is a vociferous campaigner against paedophiles, but in 2002
he used parliamentary privilege to falsely accuse a judge of using
commonwealth cars to procure young men for sex.
Senator Heffernan said the documents relating to these allegations, delivered to
him by a police agency some time ago, were very disturbing.
Ms Barnett said she wanted to see her claims and the claims of others
investigated the Royal Commission.
“I’m not the only one who’s seen this stuff,” she said.
“What I want to see happen is not just my claims, I want all of the claims
pooled and I want them investigated.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: In an earlier version of this story, former Prime Minister

Julia Gillard was pictured in the background of a photograph of Nicky Davis,
the leader of advocacy group SNAP. news.com.au does not suggest Ms Gillard
was in any way linked to any allegations made in this story.