Justice Mcclellan to Address 14th Assembly

The Insights
June 22, 2015

http://www.insights.uca.org.au/news/justice-mcclellan-to-address-14th-assembly-2

The Chair of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Justice Peter McClellan AM will address the Uniting Church in Australia’s 14th Assembly meeting in Perth next month.

Justice McClellan will address the meeting on Wednesday 15 July at the University of Western Australia.

UCA President Rev. Prof. Andrew Dutney has welcomed Justice McClellan’s agreement to address the Assembly and thanked him for the Commission’s important work to date.

“Justice McClellan has graciously agreed to speak to our Assembly meeting and we will listen very closely to what he has to say,” said Rev. Prof. Dutney.

“The Uniting Church acknowledges the pain and suffering of all those who have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of our institutions. Nothing excuses what they have experienced.

“Our Church and agency leaders have been engaging with and responding to the Royal Commission through our submissions to Issues Papers, attendance at Roundtables and participation in Case Studies on critical issues such as redress schemes.

“Our hope is that, through the Royal Commission process, survivors of abuse wherever they may be are afforded healing, justice and reconciliation.

“We are absolutely committed to putting into place the learnings from the Royal Commission to make our Church and its agencies the safest places they can be for children in our care,” said Rev. Prof. Dutney.

The Assembly meeting is the national decision-making body of the Uniting Church that sets the Church’s priorities for the next three years. It is attended by some 265 elected Uniting Church members and ecumenical church leaders from across Australia and around the world.