NT magistrate to appear before child sex abuse inquiry

Northern Territory Magistrate Michael Carey has been called before an inquiry to explain why fresh charges against a convicted child sex offender were dropped 12 years ago.

Justice Peter McClellan last week said he wanted Mr Carey to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to a memo he wrote in 2002 recommending court action be dropped against Don Henderson.

Mr McClellan has said there was "crystal clear" evidence to support the charges against Henderson, a convicted child sex offender who has been linked to scores of abuses at the Retta Dixon home in Darwin, which housed mainly Aboriginal children between 1946 and 1980.

more: NT magistrate to appear before child sex abuse inquiry

Northern Territory Magistrate Michael Carey has been called before an inquiry to explain why fresh charges against a convicted child sex offender were dropped 12 years ago.

Justice Peter McClellan last week said he wanted Mr Carey to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to a memo he wrote in 2002 recommending court action be dropped against Don Henderson.

Mr McClellan has said there was "crystal clear" evidence to support the charges against Henderson, a convicted child sex offender who has been linked to scores of abuses at the Retta Dixon home in Darwin, which housed mainly Aboriginal children between 1946 and 1980.