A Step into the Crucible

By Peter Craven
The Australian
November 17, 2012

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/a-step-into-the-crucible/story-fngburq5-1226518405448

IT'S fortunate that when Julia Gillard announced on Monday that she would hold a royal commission into child abuse, she emphasised it would not confine itself to any one religious institution, or to religious institutions at all: government childcare, non-profit private bodies such as the Scouts - all would be scrutinised.

If the process was going to take years, then fair enough, in the Prime Minister's view - there could (and should) be no shortcuts in this business.

It was an appropriate way to announce a royal commission, because the immediate provocation for one was that there had been more reports of abuse involving the Catholic Church.

They were hellish reports: of Catholic brothers committing pack rapes of children in orphanages, of offending priests being posted to new parishes where they offended again.

Premier Ted Baillieu in Victoria has an investigation under way and his NSW counterpart Barry O'Farrell has announced one too. Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, independent senator Nick Xenophon and independent federal MP Tony Windsor had all called for a royal commission.