The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 5

5 The Sydney Morning tiefefdj Sat, Pel t980 5 Walking along the beach or through the trees they plot the; future Cruelty I charges A day in the new life of the Robertses lirk't' is RSPCA by Violct and Bruce Roberts have1 spent their first week of freed mil doing simple things, learning how to be ordinary people again. GERALD1NE BROOKS spent a day in their new life with them and reports on how they are thinking and feeling about the past, but more especially about the future. dismissed r' For Violet Roberts, the long stretch of beach near her sister's South Coast home is a very special place. "When I look out there at those waves rolling in, it makes me think about being free. The ocean has always been a symbol of freedom to me.

"Now it means just so much more." Violet Roberts spent her first week of freedom doing simplo things: cooking fried chicken, baking a cake, visiting the-local supermarket. After five years in prison, every mundane household chore is a skill to be relearned and enjoyed as a tangible assertion that she is an ordinary person once again. Now that all the campaigns have ended and the publicity has faded, Violet and Bruce Roberts have at last had som time together to consider theii future. For Bruce, the week has been a quiet time: 'u "I've been walking through the trees up here, just getting off by myself and thinking." Bruce has speni some of his time looking after the newly hatched chickens in his aunt's market, where every new type of canned or packaged food is a cause for a childlike surprise and excitements. "I haven't seen this one before, Bruce," she says, finding a can of red cabbage.

"Do you think we should try it?" In the end, we don't have red cabbage with the salad that Violet makes for us all with infinite care and attention to detail. But as we eat lunch, the past surfaces again as we look at some pictures that her sister has kept for her. "That's David in his army uniform. He looks so well there; who would have known he was dying? That's my mother's grave in Victoria. 1 wasn't allowed to go to the funeral.

They won't let you go interstate when you're in jail that's my granddaughter. I haven't seen her yet that's me when I made my debut, I was only 16 then." Long road of violence stances which involved cruelty and two counts of doing an act of cruelty. Graeme Allaway, of Straws Lane, Hesket, Mount Macedon, has been charged with eight counts involving cruelty and Dr Leigh Ross Coghlan of Kyne-ton has been charged with three counts involving cruelty. Two of the charges against ANL and one each against Allaway and Coghlan were dismissed because the incidents happened when the Australian Searoadcr was outside Victorian waters on April 8. Mr Stewart Stribling.

for the RSPCA, said society inspectors had met ANL officials who said they were responsible for the ship, and its cargo and who had drafted a press release about the horses in question. Mr Wheelhouse, SM. said there was "insufficient interrogation" by RSPCA officers who should have known that bctier evidence would be required for a conviction. "It surprised me the master (of the Australian Scaroader) was not charged, but he probably didn't speak enough English anyway." Allaway, who Inspector Tapp said was the owner of the horses, and Coghlan, who allegedly travelled on the ship, have pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges. The hearing has been adjourned until Monday.

'MELBOURNE. The RSPCA was ordered to pay the Australian National "'Line $750 court costs after r.charges against the shipping line of cruelty to horses were dismissed yesterday. Mr Graham Wheelhouse, SM, in the City Court, found that in tne'eusc of 41 horses, the ANL poscsscd "no Riiilty knowledge" an essential element for a i The ANL was charged over the attempted export of the horses to Japan aboard the Australian Scarouder on April 6, 7 and 8 this year. On Tuesday an RSPCA inspector, Mr Barry Tapp told the conn that about 30 of the horses were unfit for travel and one had to tic destroyed after the ship's arrival in Sydney. Wheelhouse said yesterday that the ANL had "no doubt accented the word of a veterinarian who signed documents to allow these horses to go on board." "Their legal responsibility ended there and all charges are dismissed." Earlier, Mr Graeme Crosslcy, for ANL, said his client was merely the agent for the Japanese owner of the ship.

The shipping line had been i charged on three counts of observing a forcbearance which in- volycd cruelty, two counts ol animals in circum fit Violet Roberts and her son, Bruce after their shopping yesterday. some little thing that angered him. "He grabbed me by the hair and started punching into me. "At first he'd be so sorry, after. He'd say: TH never hurt you again.

I could hurt you." Then, in the last few years, he started to say: 'Well, you must have deserved it'," After one exceptionally brutal fight, neighbours called the police. "They came and they took him away. 1 was that relieved. But he came back, and when he came back, he look it out on me that the police had been called." The police came to the Roberts's house many times after that. Sometimes their arrival would be a jnd Eric Roberls would be taken away and charged.

Other times, their coming would herald a worse beating: "He'd meet them at the door, cunning as he was, even drunk and he'd say: 'There's no trouble here. My wife's imagining and off they'd go." For Violet Roberts the fear of "another hiding" is over. But for other women the nightmare goes on. "I know the police have to act according lo the rules that are set down for them. They'd say to me that they couldn't arrest a man just because they thought he might be going to-hurt someone.

"I remember one day when I was desperate I said to them: 'Does someone have to die before you can and they said: 'Yes, that could be what happens'." In the end, it was Eric Roberls who died. Perhaps if the police had been provided with a better answer to the question of domestic he would still be alive and Violet and Bruce Roberts would not be facing the future' burdened by the fragments of their shattered past. Police told 'fraud game' costs insurance industry millions 16 journalists sacked cnickcn run. taking pictures wilh a new camera and making inquiries about getting a job. For Violet Roberts, a return to her North Coast home is out of the question.

"I could never go back there. I never want to see that house again. There are too many bad memories' there: memories of the unhappiness and the violence and memories of David, my son who died. For her, the past is not something that is over and done wilh. It is a constant encroachment on her daily life, even now, as she settles down with het sister in a sleepy South Coast resort town and tries very hard to come face to face wilh the present.

I spent the day with Bruce and Violet Roberts, joined them on the slow, ambling walk along the beach that she needs to do for her heart condition; drove them to the bank, to organise pensions and savings and followed them to the supcr- 32,000 for HSC exam Higher School Certificate examinations for 32,000 NSW students will begin next Tuesday. The students will be examined in 42 subjects including, for the first time, Arabic and Slovenian. The NSW Minister for Education. Mr Landa, said yesterday that 2.500 teachers had been employed to mark about 900.000 answer books over the next six weeks. The marks gained in the examinations will provide about 50 per cent of the HSC results.

The other 50 per cent comes from schools' estimates of a candidate's performance. The HSC results are expected to be mailed on Monday, January 12. The dark-haired girl in the photograph wears long white gloves and a frilly dress wilh leg-of-mutton sleeves. It is hard to reconcile that young, untroubled face with the Violet Roberts who sils opposite. The 16-year-old country debutante could never have imagined ihe long road of violence and despair that lay ahead of her.

Her baby was six months old when she first realised that the man she'd married could be a violent drunk. "He'd always gone off wilh the oilier men from the mine after work for a drink, but lots and lots of men do that. After the kiddies arrived, he started staying out all weekend, drinking. Then, one day, I was just walking along, pushing David in the pram and 1 just said Mr Elder listed these examples of fraud involving broker, client and insurance company: Among the items claimed for after a household burglary were a mink fur valued at $1,600, a diamond engagement ring valued at S5.300, other items of jewellery covering many thousands of dollars, and furniture, clothing and liquor totalling $6,000. The insured, a process worker, said he had left his house for just over two hours.

He could not produce receipts or even indicate how he acquired such assets. A shop made a claim for $5,000 worth of frozen food after a refrigerator motor burnt out. Investigations proved that the refrigerator was too small to contain such a large amount of stock. Mr Tony Morgan, a loss assessor, said bogus burglary claims were the biggest problem in numerical terms while arson was the biggest in monetary terms. Mr Morgan said conditions imposed by the Privacy Committee and Trade Practices Act made it impossible for insurance companies to pass information to police on possible frauds without intruding on the individual's right to privacy.

Fraudulent claims and arson are costing Australian insurance companies several hundred million dollars a year, according to an industry spokesman. The Slate chairman of the Insurance Brokers' Association, Mr Bob Elder, told police prosecutors and detectives at the NSW Police Academy yesterday that the tax man and insurance companies were seen as "fair game." Australian insurers paid premiums totalling $5,000 million, 60 per cent of it handled by brokers, he said. sion to curtail some of the company's activities. He understood details of the curtailment would be announced in about two weeks. A stop-work meeting of AJA members working for the company will be held on Monday.

The managing director of ACP. Mr R. Henty. refused to comment on the sackings. It is understood the journalists sacked were mostly junior staff on the Australian Women's Weekly.

journalists and about 25 clerical staff were dismissed yesterday by Australian Consolidated Press publishers of the Australian Women's Weekly and The, Bulletin thtf secretary of the NSW branch of the Australian Jour-" halists' Association, Mr Gavin Cantlon, said last night. Cantlon said the reason given for the sackings by ACP was increasing costs and a deci ITALIAN LODGES SALE Rain raises some hope for farms TODAY: 10 a.m.-4p.m. TIBOOBUHRA MOREE 4 BOURKE 29 WALGETT 39 GRAFTON WHITE CLIFFS 7 MANILLA TAMBAR GOBAR 17 NVNGAN SPR'N3GflS. 33 38 BROKEN HILL IS TAREE MSSIIIS SCONE UUODU I 3Q NEWCASTLE FORBES 25 kURB)u0N0 7 RANKIN SPRINGS 24 HEIGHTS! 32 YOUNG 1 SYDNEY or five inches on top of this is what we need." Before the rain, 4,000 merino sheep had been left to wander over Mr Moore's 8.800-hectare farm. All his cattle had been moved off the property.

The Department of Agriculture's officer in charge at Moree, Mr Brian Mansfield, said things had brightened up "200 per cent" after the na. "But for wheat farmers it's a bit of a Catch-22," he said. "They are trying to harvest and are losing quality because of Ihe rain." On the South Coast, where the drought has cosi cattlemen and dairy farmers $7 million for feed since January, pood falls were recorded at Bcga (36mm) and Eden (41mm). But the rains and Ihe flush of grow th that follows have come too lale for manv. Eden Pastures Protection Board officers have witnessed the shooting of 1.600 cuttle this year and it is estimated that 5.000 more have died.

By ANDREW STONE, Rural Reporter Yesterday's -widespread rain across NSW lifted farmers' hopes a notch or two but did not shake off the drought. On the South Coast and the Northwest Plains, two of the State's driest areas, good falls of 30 lo 40 millimetres were recorded. Similar amounts fell in the south-west, central and upper west. But farmers and Department of Agriculture officers say more rain is needed in the next fortnight to consolidate Ihe effects. Mr Jimmy Moore, who runs what has been a dry and dusty properly at Burrcn Junction, said after a heavy siorm had drenched his farm yesterday: "Any rain cheers you up after so long without it.

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669 3663 KHANCOBAN 50 "IMIYIITABEL 31 NSW RAINFALL FOR 24 HRS TO 9 AIM YESTERDAY VsEOEN 41 Bega farmers remain pessimistic Buying or selling a home or land? 2 I MIM -II WIIMi liPWMJilPM.IlPiUilllMJUlik The G1PPSLAND area of Victoria had its first soaking rain for weeks in Ihe 24 hours up to 9 am yesterday, the weather bureau of Melbourne said. Rain fell throughout Gippsland in a fair coverage, averaging 30 10 40mm. Orbost and Cabbage Tree in the far east of Gippsland topped the area with 52mm and 53mm. Apart from a few drizzle patches overnight. Gippsland was expected lo start drying out again with no more rain predicted.

The cold front which moved slowly east across QUEENSLAND yesterday brought patchy rain and thunderstorms to the parched south-west of the State. Light patches of rain have fallen in the south-western areas this week, but yesterday's rain was the best for many months in most districts. The cold front was preceded by strong winds which caused severe dust storms in some areas. "Unless we get 400 mm of rain this week, the whole year could be a he said. "We have had to feed our cattle with fodder sent in from the Riverina and inlerstate.

There's just no feed on the ground." Mr Dennis Whyman. 35, who runs a dairy farm five kilometres north of Bega. said the falls did little to ease his problems. Substantial rainfall was registered in most UPPER HUNTER areas yesterday. Rainfall varied from 44mm up to 3 pm at Singleton, to only 6mm at Williamtown in the same period.

Mr N. Vane, the regional director of the Agricultural Department at Maitland, said yesterday the rain had helped the Upper Hunlcr but would not have much effect in the Lower Hunter. "Of course, the real benefit of the rain will depend on what happens over the next few days," Mr Vane said. By JASON DASEY Heavy rain fell in Bcga for the first time in nearly six months yesterday, but local farmers say it did little to ease the extreme drought. The small town 18 kilometres from the South Coast has an average annual rainfall of 850 mm.

Floods are by no means unknown. This year, only 358 mm has fallen 220 mm of which came in a series of January storms. Yesterday's fall of 36 mm was the only substantial fall since early May. Local farmers say big falls are needed within the next week to provide fodder for Bega's flagging cattle and dairy farming industries. Mr Alan McGregor, 65.

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