Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse Starts in Australia: over 5,000 Testimonials Expected

The Voice of Russia
April 3, 2013

http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_04_03/Royal-commission-into-child-sexual-abuse-starts-in-Australia-over-5-000-testimonials-expected/


A historic royal commission in child sex abuse has started in Australia. The six commissioners will have to hear to over 5,000 testimonials, look into multiple organizations, including religious, and elaborate recommendations for the future.

Speaking at the opening ceremony Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister, said it was an “important moral moment” for Australia as “some very uncomfortable truths” will be revealed.

The first announcement of the commission’s formation appeared in November last year, following persistent claims from police that the Roman Catholic Church had concealed evidence of paedophile priests.

As Chairman Justice Peter McClellan said at the commission's first public hearing today in Melbourne, from today on victims can evidence by phone, make a written statement or have a private face-to-face hearing or speak in public. The commission is made up of six commissioners, which is unusual. Even with such a number of officials involved, the collection of evidence will take at least five months, the commissioners believe.

“It seems likely that at least 5000 people will want to talk to the commission. The leaders of some groups representing survivors suggest the number could be much higher,” McClellan said.

The commissioners will take a look at religious groups, NGOs, state care providers and government agencies. McClellan said they had already served notice to produce documents on the Roman Catholic Church and the Salvation Army.

The initial report is expected to be presented by the middle of 2014, and the final report is due to be submitted by the end of 2015. However, already now the commissioners say it is unlikely to complete the task by the set deadline due to the scope of the inquiry, as they explain.

The commission is also expected to provide the Australian government with recommendations on the issue. “We've let children down in the past as a country. We need to learn what we can do as a nation to better protect our children in the future,” Gillard in a radio interview.

The commission will cost lots of money, both Gillard and McClellan confirmed. The total cost will much likely exceed the $22 million already budgeted.

Abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests has been a burning theme in Australia for years. Last September the Roman Catholic Church in Victoria state confirmed that more than 600 children had been sexually abused by its priests since the 1930s. In July 2008 during his visit to Australia Pope Benedict XVI made a public apology for the abuse.