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A WOMAN who beat a four-year-old girl with a brick before slitting her throat and leaving her for dead in a laneway more than 30 years ago has been honoured for her work with troubled youths. Just weeks after presenting Lynda Saville with a statewide internal award, the NSW Department of Juvenile Justice last night launched an urgent investigation into revelations about her past. Donna Lee Skeiner still suffers more than three decades after Lynda Saville kidnapped and assaulted her before slitting her throat with a broken glass. In 1973 the then child staggered back to the Moonee Ponds Hotel in darkness with blood streaming from her throat as her frantic mother and detectives searched for her. This month the NSW Department of Justice presented Ms Saville – who was 19 when she attacked the girl – with its internal Award for Achievement, praising her for her work with troubled young people. Ms Skeiner – who still has scars on her neck to match her emotional scars – said the award was an insult. "She doesn't deserve to receive a dog bone after what she has done," she said. "It is a joke and I am disgusted by it. I want the award reversed because she is living a lie. This affects my whole life and she gets an award? "Where's my justice?" Ms Skeiner tracked her attacker down two years ago after suffering a breakdown, but only learned of the award a few days ago. When the Herald Sun spoke to Ms Saville yesterday she acknowledged her past, but said she had changed and her experiences reforming herself helped her in dealing with young people today. "It is nearly 34 years ago, mate – I have done a lot, a lot, a lot of work on myself after this... I have been OK," she said. "Here is someone who has turned themselves around. They (the Department of Juvenile Justice) are very aware of it. "You have to go through all that and because I could provide details I have had an exemplary career with them ever since." But a department spokesman last night said an urgent investigation, including a fresh risk assessment of Ms Saville's employment by the Commission for Children and Young People, would be carried out. The spokesman said Ms Saville had a criminal records check and risk assessment in 2002. In the meantime, Ms Saville is working in a position that has no contact with clients. "This involves a long-standing employee with no history of client complaints," the spokesman said. "This employee has been highly evaluated by her colleagues and immediate supervisors for her work with troubled young people. "As a result, they nominated her last year for the department's Awards for Achievement." In 1973 Lynda Saville kidnapped the four-year-old from the hotel and took he to a nearby laneway where she beat her with a brick before cutting her throat. The child was found wandering towards the hotel alone about 30 minutes later, carrying her tights and unable to remember what happened. A doctor's report gained through Freedom of Information shows the child suffered 8-10cm cuts through all layers of skin on her throat, multiple bruises to her head and around her eyes, bruising on her right thigh, leg, foot, buttocks and back. Her mother, Yvonne Downey, said the attack changed their lives. "I kept Donna locked in the house. I even kept her home from school for a while and would not let her go," she said. Ms Saville was charged and found not guilty because of insanity. She spent time in the Royal Park Hospital for the criminally insane. Ms Saville said she had overcome her problems since the attack, blaming a former partner for dragging up her past. "I've just had a bitter break-up with an ex-partner who is involved in this and have an apprehended violence order against her," she said. "Unfortunately, my ex-partner didn't get what they want and they knew about this." Herald Sun (16-1-2007) Grant McArthur |
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