Survivors of child abuse left out of Royal Commission roundtable

By Angela Lavoipierre
ABC News
April 16, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-16/survivors-of-child-abuse-left-out-of-roundtable/5394762

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is facing criticism for failing to include survivors of abuse in a roundtable on out-of-home care.

The roundtable follows the recent inquiry into the Salvation Army's response to the abuse of children in its care.

Stakeholders including government representatives, academics and care providers gathered in Sydney to discuss preventing sexual abuse where children are being cared for outside their family home or with foster families.

Leonie Sheedy from the advocacy group Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) says she is very concerned that no survivors of abuse were invited to take part.

"It's all very well to have academics but what about the voices of older care leavers?" she said.

"We've got a lot to contribute and we should be learning from our experiences not to repeat the mistakes of the past on the current children in care today."

She says plenty of CLAN members would have been happy to take part if they had been asked.

"They're very knowledgeable and they've got great skills to contribute and they're willing to contribute," Ms Sheedy said.

But a statement from the Royal Commission's CEO Janette Dines says survivors are vital to the work of the commission.

It says the Royal Commission has been hearing the stories of survivors of child sexual abuse through its extensive program of private sessions and public hearings.