Adelaide, SA: Man, 73, arrested on child abuse charges from Magill Youth Training Centre
A man will face court on Thursday accused of child sex charges at a youth detention centre over a quarter of a century. WARNING: sensitive content.
WARNING: sensitive content.
A man has been charged with dozens of child sex offences against 29 alleged victims at a youth detention centre over a 25-year period.
SA police arrested a 73-year-old man from Adelaide’s western suburbs on Thursday and charged him with offences that allegedly occurred at the now-closed Magill Youth Training Centre between 1978 and 2003.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The man was charged with 55 offences, including multiple counts of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of a child, gross indecency and indecent assault.
The charges relate to 29 known victim-survivors, many of whom were children when the offences were allegedly committed.
The man will appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Service Assistant Commissioner Stuart McLean said the arrest was the result of investigations by Task Force Libero, established in March 2025 to scrutinise allegations of historical child sexual abuse at Magill and other government care facilities.
“Today is the first arrest for Libero, and I anticipate potentially further arrests as these investigations continue,” he said.
“We’ll be alleging today that this man had access to the Magill Training Centre, however, he was not an employee of the centre, nor was he a government employee.”
The site was established as the McNally Training Centre in 1967 for boys aged 15-18 who were sentenced by juvenile court or being held on remand.
It was renamed the SA Youth Training Centre in 1979 and in 1993, it became the Magill Training Centre to house young people aged 10-14, while older teens were transferred to a new facility.
There were previous historical allegations of sexual abuse at the centre, which was criticised for its poor conditions before its closure in 2012.
Mr McLean said he was” very proud of the work” done by the detectives involved in the complex and protracted investigation, which began in December 2023, ahead of the taskforce being formed in March 2025.
“They work with victim survivors of these offences, and they’re complex matters that take significant investigative effort,” he said.
“And when we have sufficient evidence to support laying a charge, we will do so and bring people before the court.”
The man’s arrest reflected SA police’s “commitment to thoroughly investigate and support allegations, regardless of when they occur”, he said.
“The passage of time does not diminish the significance of these offences, nor our commitment to thoroughly investigate.”
If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to headspace.org.au.
