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| Stolen Aboriginal man wins payout | Stolen Aboriginal man wins payout |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An Aboriginal man taken from his family as a baby has been awarded compensation in a landmark case in Australia. | An Aboriginal man taken from his family as a baby has been awarded compensation in a landmark case in Australia. |
| Bruce Trevorrow is the first member of Australia's "stolen generation" of Aboriginal people to win compensation. | Bruce Trevorrow is the first member of Australia's "stolen generation" of Aboriginal people to win compensation. |
| A court found Mr Trevorrow was falsely imprisoned and treated unlawfully when he was taken from his family in 1958. | A court found Mr Trevorrow was falsely imprisoned and treated unlawfully when he was taken from his family in 1958. |
| Thousands of Aboriginal children were handed over to white families under Australian government assimilation policies from 1915 to 1969. | Thousands of Aboriginal children were handed over to white families under Australian government assimilation policies from 1915 to 1969. |
| In a 300-page judgement that took 18 months to deliver, Justice Thomas Gray of the Supreme Court of South Australia awarded Mr Trevorrow $AU525,000 (£220,000, $447,000). | In a 300-page judgement that took 18 months to deliver, Justice Thomas Gray of the Supreme Court of South Australia awarded Mr Trevorrow $AU525,000 (£220,000, $447,000). |
| 'Wrongful imprisonment' | 'Wrongful imprisonment' |
| In his judgement, Justice Gray established for the first time that taking a child from their family in such circumstances was wrongful imprisonment and a breach of the state's duty of care. | In his judgement, Justice Gray established for the first time that taking a child from their family in such circumstances was wrongful imprisonment and a breach of the state's duty of care. |
| I thought that we would never get there, but the day's come when I've got the peace of mind to start my life Bruce Trevorrow | I thought that we would never get there, but the day's come when I've got the peace of mind to start my life Bruce Trevorrow |
| In December 1957, Mr Trevorrow was taken to hospital with stomach pains. When he recovered he was put into foster care with a white family without his parents' permission. | |
| He did not see his family for another 10 years, despite his mother writing to authorities to ask where her son was. | He did not see his family for another 10 years, despite his mother writing to authorities to ask where her son was. |
| Mr Trevorrow, 50, argued in court that because of this action he had suffered loss of identity, depression, alcoholism and erratic employment. | |
| A spokesman for South Australia's attorney-general said the government would seek legal advice before deciding whether to appeal against the ruling. | A spokesman for South Australia's attorney-general said the government would seek legal advice before deciding whether to appeal against the ruling. |
| Outside court, Mr Trevorrow said it was not possible to put a dollar value on the pain he had endured. | Outside court, Mr Trevorrow said it was not possible to put a dollar value on the pain he had endured. |
| "I thought that we would never get there," he said. | "I thought that we would never get there," he said. |
| "But the day's come when I've got the peace of mind to start my life." | "But the day's come when I've got the peace of mind to start my life." |