‘My life of fear’ in home for disabled

An academic living with significant physical disability was subjected to repeated sex abuse attempts, a royal commission has heard.

A noted Victorian academic living with significant physical disability was subjected to repeated sexual abuse attempts by a staff member at his share supported accommodation last year, but his service provider continued to let staff enter his room ­un­announced, making him feel unsafe, the disability royal commission has heard.

Peter Gibilisco, an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne and author of numerous books about disability and social inclusion, described to the commission a staff member entering his room at 2am and taking off his doona “to gain access”. “At that point, he tried to ­molest me. I was very reluctant and I was telling him to piss off and get out of my room,” Dr Gibilisco said.

The same staff member came into his room late at night a month later, he said. “He pulled off a doona and tried to use his hands to grope me. I struggled ­violently this time and I yelled at him to stop, but he didn’t listen, nor did he ­communicate back with me in any way.”

Dr Gibilisco was the first witness to appear at the disability royal commission this week as it examines group homes as an ­accommodation option for ­people with disability. Others gave evidence of neglect and abuse, and a loss of choice and control over basic human issues such as bed times and meal times.

Senior counsel assisting the commission, Kate Eastman, said group homes, which house and support four to six people with disabilities and provide them with access to the community, were a model of care brought in after the deinstitutionalisation of care in the 1970s. “There remains a question whether group homes are still ­institutions, albeit on a smaller scale,” Ms Eastman said. “This hearing will hear evidence about incidents of violence and abuse that have been deeply traumatic and have created deep scars for a number of people with disability and their families. We cannot shy away from exposing violence and abuse. It is why the royal commission was established.”

Dr Gibilisco, who has Friedrich’s Ataxia, which limits his ­mobility, hearing, speaking and vision, is confined to a wheelchair and requires constant support. Giving evidence through a computer-generated voice operator, he said he reported the attempted abuse to the home’s management, who reported it to police. But he said he was disappointed that management continued to allow staff to enter his room without his permission. “This makes me feel very unsafe,” he said.

Another witness, AAI, gave evidence about the treatment of her 34-year-old daughter, who lives in a supported group home in Geelong because of an intellectual disability and arthrogryposis, which constricts her musculature and means she requires a wheelchair. AAI said while her daughter was in a previous group home in regional Victoria, she was denied basic life choices, such as when she ate and went to bed, and even whether she was ­allowed to shave her legs. “It’s these small everyday things that make an ­ordinary life,” AAI said.

She said the regional facility played down incidents, including one in November last year when staff said her daughter had spilt hot coffee on herself.

“They said it was not very serious but they would take her to the hospital to get checked out. I received a call later that night to tell me she was being airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne. She ended up at The Alfred hospital burn unit for a week.”