Australia's Royal Commission Opens First National Public Hearing for Child Sexual Abuse

By Joseph A. Cambra
The Nzweek
September 16, 2013

http://www.nzweek.com/world/australias-royal-commission-opens-first-national-public-hearing-for-child-sexual-abuse-2-79633/

A national inquiry conducted by Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse opened its first public hearing Monday in Sydney for a long-time issue of church and institutional child sexual abuse cases, a media release from the commission said Monday.

The inquiry was commissioned by the federal government to investigate allegations of systemic abuse within religious and state-run institutions, local media ABC News said.

New South Wales (NSW) state’s Supreme Court judge Peter McClellan has been appointed to lead the royal commission into national child sexual abuse cases earlier this year, with the support from five other commissioners.

According to the chief executive of the commission, Janette Dines, many stories hearing during the inquiry will shock people.

“We believe the public will be shocked to begin to learn just how difficult life has been for people who have experienced child sexual abuse in an institution. We also think people will be shocked to learn the broad range of institutions where child sexual abuse has occurred in the past, and I think the other thing that will shock people will be the severity of physical abuse that often accompanies sexual abuse,” she was quoted as saying.

According to Justice Peter McClellan, around 400 people have given evidence in private hearings when the commission started the investigations. Moreover, another 400 people have registered to give evidence in private and another 1,000 people are waiting to hear if they will get a hearing. “We’ve had an overwhelming response — 5,000 have called the royal commission and at least 2,000 of those have expressed interest in coming forward and talking to the royal commissioner. We’re looking at all sorts of institutions that have responsibility to look after children, and this week there are five institutions whose conduct will be examined,”said Dines.

The first public hearing will examine how a pedophile was given trusted roles involving children and the institutional responses to the offender’s conduct.

Steven Larkins, who is the former leader of Hunter Aboriginal Children’s Services (HACS) and a former scoutmaster, pleaded guilty to and was convicted of the aggravated indecent assault of two children, aged 11 and 12, and possession of child abuse material to avoid detection in 2012.

Gail Furness, senior counsel for the commission, told the hearing that Larkins’ contact with five institutions will be examined, which include Scouts Australia, NSW branch, HACS, the former Department of Community Services (DoCS), the Commission for Children and Young People and NSW Police.

It is apparent that where an organization lacks an appropriate culture, and there are not appropriate practices and training of staff within the organization, there is a risk that sexual abuse will occur. In some institutions, there may be only one perpetrator. In others, there will be multiple abusers and many children may be abused, said McClellan.

He also emphasized the negative effect impacting on many young victims from abuse, adding”many have thought of suicide and some have attempted it”.

According to the data from the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), child abuse and neglect is one of Australia’s most significant social problems. Last year, more than 35,000 Australian children have been proven to be abused or neglected.

Last year alone, according to Australian statistics, nearly 6, 000 children were sexually abused, but that only makes up 12 percent of all of the child abuse in Australia in one year, NAPCAN ‘ s president, Teresa Scott told media.