Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse arrives in country Victoria

By Kate Stowell
ABC News
March 19, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-19/royal-commission-into-institutional-child-sexual-abuse-arrives-/5331396

The first regional Victorian hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse are being held in Ballarat this week.

Reports of abuse in Ballarat's schools, churches and orphanages date back to the 1950s.

Last year's Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry which produced the Betrayal of Trust report described criminal child abuse in the Ballarat Diocese in the 1970s as "systemic" and "undeniable".

It is believed at least 40 suicides in the Ballarat area are linked to child abuse-related illnesses, including post traumatic stress disorder and depression.

This week the Royal Commission is holding three days of private hearings and a community forum for people who want to ask questions about how the commission works.

All sessions are closed to the media to respect the privacy of those wanting to speak out.

Abuse survivor Andrew Collins has spent years fighting for justice for Ballarat abuse survivors.

He says since the Victorian inquiry and the start of the Royal Commission, more survivors have come forward wanting to tell their stories and seek compensation.

"It's like the parliamentary inquiry was a first step," he said.

"It's opened everything up, it gave people confidence to come forward and realise that it's ok to come forward and talk about everything that has happened."

Mr Collins and other survivors have been speaking to the Ballarat Diocese about getting the church to pay for the medical costs faced by the survivors suffering from abuse-related illnesses.

The Betrayal of Trust report released last November made 15 recommendations to change Victorian law to improve child protection standards.

The recommendations include reforms to the criminal law, improving access to civil justice and tougher protection standards for people working with children.

At the time of the report's release, Premier Denis Napthine said the Government would act on the report's recommendations and immediately begin drafting new legislation,

But Andrew Collins says the Government has not moved quickly enough.

"A lot of survivors are feeling really upset that there are a lot of words being said, but not a lot of action is being taken," Mr Collins said.

"People are suffering and hurting, we want to make sure action is taken as soon as possible."

Premier Napthine says the Government is working on the issue.

"We've already seen legislation introduced to the Parliament in terms of [the offence of] grooming", he said.

"Further legislation will be brought into the Parliament in response to that report."

Dr Napthine said a full response from the government could be expected by May.

The Government had originally committed to respond to the report within six months of the November release date.