Commission Cases Go to Police

The Australian
December 2, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/commission-cases-go-to-police/story-fn3dxiwe-1226773676997

THE national inquiry into how institutions handled allegations of sex abuse against children has referred 54 matters to authorities, including police.

The royal commission, which has been holding public hearings since September, will open a two-week inquiry in Sydney next Monday into the Catholic Church's Towards Healing process adopted by the church to respond internally to sex-abuse allegations.

This will focus on the experiences of four people who came through that system.

They are Queensland residents who were abused by priests and brothers of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, the Catholic diocese of Lismore and Marist Brothers.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has so far received 8500 phone calls, 3000 emails and 170,000 visits to their website.

In a statement on Monday it said it has also held more that 917 private sessions. These are continuing across the country.

The private sessions form the basis for case studies which are then examined at public hearings.

At the three public hearings in Sydney the commission has heard from 60 witnesses.

The inquiry, which concluded last week, was into how the Anglican Diocese of Grafton handled allegations of abuse at a children's home in Lismore.

The commission also said that as well as the 54 matters referred to authorities, more than 250 notices to produce documents have been served on a range of government and non-government institutions.

The royal commission will bring in an interim report in June of next year.