Within the federal jurisdiction, I have pointed out the behaviour of one Dr Rikard-Bell, who has given 2,000 opinions as an expert to the Family Court. The Family Court system in Australia is broken. There are a lot of things that go on in there, with partners dividing and accusations of sexual misbehaviour within the family, especially the fathers. This guy, who has given 2,000 opinions as an expert to the court, says in an interview with the ABC, which I would like to table, that he has no real expertise. In fact, he was instructed by a man, Dr Richard Gardner—who has since suicided, by the way—that Dr Rikard-Bell recommends as an opinion maker, and who said:
… the child has to be helped to appreciate that we have in our society an exaggeratedly punitive and moralistic attitude about adult-child sexual encounters …
This is the guy giving advice to Dr Rikard-Bell. This Dr Rikard-Bell insists on interviewing children in front of the offending fathers. How is that for intimidation?
Mr Bill Heffernan 24 Feb 2016
| Said by | Mr Bill Heffernan | |
| 24 Feb 2016 | Source | Statement by Senator Heffernan on Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse |