Australian True Crime

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

Sarah spent decades explaining her self-destructive behaviour to people as a consequence of one terrible year of bullying in primary school.

Her abuser wasn't another child, but her principal, an elderly Catholic nun.

But while Sarah tried to overcome the trauma of that experience, and of one terrible incident in particular, by talking about it with friends and seeking counselling, it wasn't until she heard a line in a true crime podcast while driving her car that she realised the one detail she'd always kept to herself was the thing that was preventing her from healing.

Sarah contacted us at Australian True Crime because she wants to share what happened after she pulled her car over to the side of the road that day. She wants to share her story in case even one of you hears this true crime podcast and is set free the way she has been.

For Support: 

www.bravehearts.org.au

www.nationalredress.gov.au

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Sarah

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

Sarah spent decades explaining her self-destructive behaviour to people as a consequence of one terrible year of bullying in primary school.

Her abuser wasn't another child, but her principal, an elderly Catholic nun.

But while Sarah tried to overcome the trauma of that experience, and of one terrible incident in particular, by talking about it with friends and seeking counselling, it wasn't until she heard a line in a true crime podcast while driving her car that she realised the one detail she'd always kept to herself was the thing that was preventing her from healing.

Sarah contacted us at Australian True Crime because she wants to share what happened after she pulled her car over to the side of the road that day. She wants to share her story in case even one of you hears this true crime podcast and is set free the way she has been.

For Support: 

www.bravehearts.org.au

www.nationalredress.gov.au

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Sarah

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

This is a re-issue of episode 99 from May 2019 2019

Dassi Erlich is living a life today she literally could never have imagined as a child. She couldn’t have imagined it because so much of what the rest of us take for granted was hidden from her by her parents and the other adults around her. Dassi and her six siblings were raised in the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel community of Melbourne. you may have seen Dassi and two of her sisters on Australian Story, because their conservative sheltered upbringing was an illusion, far from being overly protected, they were actually being preyed upon in more ways than one.

Warning: please be advised this episode contains accounts of child sexual assault.

Show notes for Episode 99:

Your hosts are Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb

With thanks to Dassi Erlich

Like us on Facebook ​

Follow us on Instagram or Twitter

Support us on Patreon

Visit our Bookshop

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

If you would like to talk to someone about sexual assault, no matter the circumstances or how long ago it took place, you can call 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 732 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au

If you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Thank you for listening!

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

This is a re-issue of episode 99 from May 2019 2019

Dassi Erlich is living a life today she literally could never have imagined as a child. She couldn’t have imagined it because so much of what the rest of us take for granted was hidden from her by her parents and the other adults around her. Dassi and her six siblings were raised in the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel community of Melbourne. you may have seen Dassi and two of her sisters on Australian Story, because their conservative sheltered upbringing was an illusion, far from being overly protected, they were actually being preyed upon in more ways than one.

Warning: please be advised this episode contains accounts of child sexual assault.

Show notes for Episode 99:

Your hosts are Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb

With thanks to Dassi Erlich

Like us on Facebook ​

Follow us on Instagram or Twitter

Support us on Patreon

Visit our Bookshop

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

If you would like to talk to someone about sexual assault, no matter the circumstances or how long ago it took place, you can call 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 732 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au

If you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Thank you for listening!

Susan Warren, 15 years old in the year of 1965, ran away with a man 8 years her senior, Arthur Thomson.

The next 34 years of her life are quite frankly, a complete mystery.

She had no friends, no community, and hardly any family contact.

In fact, her life was so isolated that when she went missing in 1999, there wasn’t a missing persons report with the police until 2006.

And this wasn’t because Arthur reported her missing - it was actually the subsequent result after both he and his mother, were found dead in their rural Queensland home.

Searching through his “museum like” house, full of antique furniture with their price tags still attached, they found an old letter from Susan that she had addressed to her mother.

This letter indicated that she had not just ran away, as Arthur had fleetingly suggested to the community years prior.

The complete mystery of Susan’s life and disappearance has always stuck with crime and investigative journalist, Paula Doneman, who is our guest for today’s episode.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Paula Doneman. Her twitter handle is @pauladoneman. Here is the link to her original article on Susan Thomson

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

Susan Warren, 15 years old in the year of 1965, ran away with a man 8 years her senior, Arthur Thomson.

The next 34 years of her life are quite frankly, a complete mystery.

She had no friends, no community, and hardly any family contact.

In fact, her life was so isolated that when she went missing in 1999, there wasn’t a missing persons report with the police until 2006.

And this wasn’t because Arthur reported her missing - it was actually the subsequent result after both he and his mother, were found dead in their rural Queensland home.

Searching through his “museum like” house, full of antique furniture with their price tags still attached, they found an old letter from Susan that she had addressed to her mother.

This letter indicated that she had not just ran away, as Arthur had fleetingly suggested to the community years prior.

The complete mystery of Susan’s life and disappearance has always stuck with crime and investigative journalist, Paula Doneman, who is our guest for today’s episode.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Paula Doneman. Her twitter handle is @pauladoneman. Here is the link to her original article on Susan Thomson

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

We return this episode with our guests Jon Rouse APM and Akhim Dev, answering your questions about the fight against online exploitation of children.

Akhim Dev is the creator of The Children In the Pictures, a documentary and podcast that looks into the amazing and unrelenting work of members at Task Force Argos, of which Jon Rouse was a founding member of. 

For those not in the know, Task Force Argos is a world renowned branch of the Queensland police force responsible for the investigation of online child exploitation and abuse, which you can learn more about from our previous episode.

Akhim Dev's documentary "The Children in the Pictures" can be viewed on SBS On Demand. His podcast of the same name is also available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

We implore you to make a report to https://www.esafety.gov.au/ if you or a child you know has been abused online.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Jon Rouse APM & Akhim Dev

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

We return this episode with our guests Jon Rouse APM and Akhim Dev, answering your questions about the fight against online exploitation of children.

Akhim Dev is the creator of The Children In the Pictures, a documentary and podcast that looks into the amazing and unrelenting work of members at Task Force Argos, of which Jon Rouse was a founding member of. 

For those not in the know, Task Force Argos is a world renowned branch of the Queensland police force responsible for the investigation of online child exploitation and abuse, which you can learn more about from our previous episode.

Akhim Dev's documentary "The Children in the Pictures" can be viewed on SBS On Demand. His podcast of the same name is also available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

We implore you to make a report to https://www.esafety.gov.au/ if you or a child you know has been abused online.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Jon Rouse APM & Akhim Dev

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

Task Force Argos is a world renowned branch of the Queensland Police Service, responsible for the investigation of online child exploitation and abuse.

Our guests for this episode are Jon Rouse APM and Akhim Dev. Rouse was one of the founding members of the Argos Task Force, and Dev is a documentary film maker, whose film and podcast "The Children in the Pictures" featured the work of the Rouse's team.

Next episode will feature Rouse and Dev answering our listeners' questions, but on this episode, we learn more about the most common threats to young people online today.

Akhim Dev's documentary "The Children in the Pictures" can be viewed on SBS On Demand. His podcast of the same name is also available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Jon Rouse APM & Akhim Dev

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

Task Force Argos is a world renowned branch of the Queensland Police Service, responsible for the investigation of online child exploitation and abuse.

Our guests for this episode are Jon Rouse APM and Akhim Dev. Rouse was one of the founding members of the Argos Task Force, and Dev is a documentary film maker, whose film and podcast "The Children in the Pictures" featured the work of the Rouse's team.

Next episode will feature Rouse and Dev answering our listeners' questions, but on this episode, we learn more about the most common threats to young people online today.

Akhim Dev's documentary "The Children in the Pictures" can be viewed on SBS On Demand. His podcast of the same name is also available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guests: Jon Rouse APM & Akhim Dev

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Email the show at [email protected]