- She claims she was sexually abused on two separate occasions.
- He attributes the alleged attacks to the decline of his football career
- Juvenile detention center accused of breaching duty of care
A former NRL star has launched a $1 million lawsuit against the state of New South Wales, alleging he was raped by a female prison officer while in a youth detention centre.
The player, whose name cannot be revealed due to the nature of the allegations, claims the abuse occurred when he was 16, leaving him with lasting psychological trauma.
The star was detained at the Acmena Juvenile Justice Centre several times between February 2001 and January 2002.
According to a statement of claim filed in the New South Wales Supreme Court and obtained by Daily Mail Australia, the man alleges he was abused twice by a prison officer known as “Jane”.
The first incident allegedly took place in the kitchen of the juvenile center, where Jane cornered him, forcing her hands down his pants and under his shirt.
The second incident is believed to have occurred in the center’s gaming room, where Jane allegedly pulled down the player’s pants and performed a sexual act on him.
The former player, once regarded as a promising NRL talent with a big career ahead of him, believes trauma contributed significantly to the decline of his career.
“He will carry these (mental) wounds for the rest of his life, and we allege that the abuse is partly responsible for ending what was a promising career,” said his lawyer, Claire Egan.
Shine Lawyers took on her case, filing the lawsuit on June 17.
Former NRL player says alleged abuse affected decline of his football career (file image)
The lawsuit seeks damages for personal injuries resulting from the alleged abuse, including exemplary damages, interest and legal costs.
If the case proceeds to a hearing and the player wins, the total amount, including legal costs, could exceed $1 million.
In the statement of claim, the former player claims the state was negligent in its duty to provide a safe environment for children in juvenile detention centers.
She claims those running the centre failed to take adequate precautions to prevent physical and sexual abuse of vulnerable children.
Their statement said proper supervision by prison officers and ensuring they were never alone with the children could have prevented the abuse.
She also claims the facility failed to educate detainees on how to report abuse, leaving them feeling unable to report staff misconduct.
The player claims that a prison guard sexually abused him twice when he was a teenager (file image)
The player’s legal documents allege that the center failed to implement safeguards that would have allowed children to report sexual advances and abuse.
It is also claimed that those running the youth centre should have been aware of the risk of physical and sexual abuse faced by vulnerable children in their care.
The player claims that the necessary precautions were not taken to prevent such abuse.
These precautions included supervising prison officers and ensuring they were never alone with the children.
The former player also claims that children at the centre felt unable to speak out about sexual abuse by staff.
Court documents allege the facility failed to take steps to educate detained children about their rights or how to report abuse.
The state has not yet filed a defense in court or indicated whether it will contest the case.
The case is scheduled to be heard in court on August 5.
