Abuse Inquiry Draws out Victims

By Judith Ireland
Sydney Morning Herald
March 31, 2013

http://www.smh.com.au/national/abuse-inquiry-draws-out-victims-20130330-2h03w.html

Victims groups are bracing for a flood of people wanting to give evidence about child sexual abuse, as the royal commission holds its first sitting in Melbourne this week.

The royal commission into child sexual abuse will outline how it plans to deal with the sensitive nature of the evidence at the session at the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday.

It will not take evidence, but the sitting will be the first major update on how the commission will work since the six commissioners were appointed in January.

Tens of thousands of Australians are expected to come forward over the three years of the inquiry to tell their stories of abuse in institutions such as schools, churches and orphanages.

Given the huge workload for the commission, organisations such as child advocacy group Bravehearts are preparing to ''triage'' the information they receive before it reaches the commission to make sure it is useful and to support those coming forward.

Bravehearts is already receiving 300 to 350 calls a week about the commission and is expecting that number to rise as the commission opens.

Executive director Hetty Johnston said a frequent question from people calling up was: ''Is my story good enough … Can it help the commission?''

To help sort through the information, Bravehearts will use an online system that allows people to upload information anonymously and for information on alleged offenders to be separated from that of complainants, allowing bodies such as the police to pick up patterns of abuse.

Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA) is also looking to use online templates and is moving to a new office space this week, to make way for a bigger call centre that takes calls out of business hours. President Cathy Kezelman said ASCA was hoping to double its eight counsellors from next month.

''We don't think we've seen the start of it yet,'' Dr Kezelman said.

Sydney truck driver Richard Parker, 53, who was abused as a school student in the 1970s, has already contacted the commission to register his interest.

''It's good to see it starting to happen,'' he said of Wednesday's sitting.

''I don't mind if it's 10 years. I've already waited for 30-something.''