A 78-year-old man from Adelaide's western suburbs has been charged with 55 historical sexual abuse offences linked to the now defunct Magill training centre, South Australia's former youth detention facility. The charges, which date back to 1978, include multiple counts of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of a child, gross indecency and indecent assault. Because nothing says "swift justice" like a 47-year gap between alleged crime and courtroom.

Police say the charges relate to 29 known victim-survivors, many of whom were children at the time of the alleged offending. The alleged offences span from 1978 to 2003, a period long enough to watch the entire Cold War play out, the internet get invented, and the centre itself shut down.

SA police assistant commissioner Stuart McLean told reporters on Thursday that the arrest was the result of ongoing investigations by taskforce Libero. "These are very complex and protracted investigations, but the determination and the commitment of those investigators throughout that period leading to the arrest today is a significant body of work. I'm very proud of the work they've done," he said. Translation: it took a while, but someone finally found the filing cabinet.

McLean would not be drawn on the man's exact job at the time of the alleged offending, only saying he had "access to the centre". He confirmed the man was not a government employee or employed at the centre. So, not a staffer - just a guy with a visitor's pass and, allegedly, a lot of unsupervised time.

He also said police would take steps to protect the identity of all victim-survivors as they were children at the time of the alleged offences. The investigation into the man began in December 2023, with the taskforce formally established in March 2025. This is the taskforce's first arrest, but McLean said he anticipates the potential for further arrests as investigations continue. Because when you finally start pulling a thread, sometimes the whole sweater comes apart.

McLean said police remain committed to supporting victim-survivors despite the "passage of time" since the alleged crimes. "Complex protracted matters can take time, but when we have sufficient evidence to support charges, we'll bring people before the court." The man was expected to appear in the Adelaide magistrates court on Thursday - presumably without a hall pass this time.