Victims Hail Royal Commission As Bittersweet Victory

ABC News
November 12, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-13/victims-react-to-royal-commission-announcement/4368200

[with video]

Victims and their families have welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement of a royal commission into child sexual abuse, saying it is a bittersweet victory.

Pressure had been building on the Government to react to growing social and political outrage at the latest series of revelations of paedophilia in society, most of which are centred on the Catholic Church.

Julia Gillard announced yesterday the creation of a royal commission into institutional responses to instances of child sexual abuse.

The inquiry will cover the treatment of children in all institutions - not just the Catholic Church.

Ms Gillard said there had been a systemic failure to respond to the issue, and she indicated that recent revelations about priests being sheltered by the church clinched her decision.

The news coincided with the arrest of a Sydney Catholic Brother and teacher, who have been charged with child abuse offences dating back to the mid-1980s.

Parents Anthony and Chrissie Foster are long-time campaigners for a royal commission into the handling of child abuse.

Two of their daughters were raped by their parish priest when they were in primary school.

Left to right: Emma Foster (6); Aimee Foster (2); mother Chrissie Foster; Katie Foster (4) and father Anthony Foster. Emma and Katie were abused by a Catholic priest from an early age. (Family supplied: Hell on the Way to Heaven)

Emma Foster later committed suicide. Katie Foster took to drinking heavily and was hit by a car.

She is now physically and mentally disabled and requires 24-hour care.

The Fosters told ABC News Breakfast they were elated at the news of a royal commission.

"We're elated that it's happened. We now need to see good, solid results coming out of it," Mr Foster said.

"It's really, really important now that it moves forward very quickly, that it's well resourced, that we don't see it dragging on forever."

Mrs Foster says the term "abuse" is not strong enough for what happened to her daughters.

"It was such a shock when we found out what had happened to Emma, and 15 months later what had happened to Katie," she said.

"Abuse is such a weak word because we are talking about the rape of little children.

"Emma was in prep, Katie was in prep or grade one - from that age, and not just a one-off, but for years.

"These were little innocent children and at the time when Emma disclosed she was only 13."

Mr and Mrs Foster say when they first confronted the church, their daughters were accused of making up the stories for money.

It was such a shock when we found out what had happened to Emma, and 15 months later what had happened to Katie.

Abuse is such a weak word because we are talking about the rape of little children.

Chrissie Foster

"There was a dismissive approach from the church," Mr Foster said.

"[Sydney Archbishop] George Pell phoned us and said 'We won't believe any of this, it's all gossip until proven in court'," he said.

"Just an incredible attitude... and we subsequently came to find out that the Catholic Church knew about our daughters' perpetuators back in the 1950s and had covered him up."

Mr Foster says the royal commission must proceed quickly, and must meet victims' expectations.

"Victims' hopes must be raised. They must understand what is capable for them, what can be done for them," he said.

"So many of these victims are downtrodden; they don't understand even their basic rights.

"They've been abused, assaulted, and re-abused by the church. They need to be told, they need to be shown what is capable for their life and their lives need to be restored as best as possible to what they would have been without these assaults."

He says the royal commission should take no longer than two years.

"This royal commission should have been called back in '95, '96 - there is no doubt about that," he said.

"So it must proceed now quickly within a timeframe so that those that were guiltily of covering up are caught now and don't get away with just dying and going on."