Does My Voice Count? Royal Commission into Child Abuse

ABC Sydney
April 3, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2013/04/03/3729083.htm

Opening day of Royal Commission

[with audio]

Victims of institutional child sexual abuse in Australia continue to question the value of speaking out, even though a Royal Commission into the crimes has begun its work. A total of six commissioners, led by Justice Peter McClelland, held an initial meeting in Melbourne to outline how the Royal Commission will now tackle the process of seeking justice for an epidemic of abuse that has scarred thousands of Australians for decades.

As the Federal government also announced free legal assistance to victims, Tony called 702 Mornings, emotionally shaken as he recounted abuse at the hands of a Catholic brother at a school in Burwood in the early 1960s.

"I thought I'd dealt with it, I thought I'd got over it," Tony said, his voice shaking as he described the unwelcome memories flooding back.

And to compound the original abuse, Tony said he had found the school unwilling and secretive when he had made an approach hoping to speak to the brother, to seek an apology and offer forgiveness as the "Christian thing to do."

But even with a national forum to address all those in Tony's shoes, this man now in his fifties was still unsure that his story would matter.

"I don't know if my voice would be heard, if it would be significant," Tony said.

The Royal Commission must now show it can reach out to people with such doubts.

Another caller Michelle also identified another concern on behalf of blind victims of abuse, who will need translators to be able to communicate their stories to the Royal Commission.

At the same time, one of the most powerful voices in recent times on the side of the victims has expressed concern about his fate after blowing the whistle on police and Catholic church inaction in the face of abuse.

NSW police detective inspector Peter Fox has found that he has not been granted full whistleblower immunity by the police force.

While he was given an assurance by the Premier Barry O'Farrell within days of speaking out that he would be protected, Peter Fox says he remains open to reprisals.