Ballarat Anger over Child Sex Abuse Royal Commission Hearings Moving to Melbourne

ABC News
August 3, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/ballarat-anger-over-royal-commission-child-abuse-hearings-moving/6670110

PHOTO: Ballarat survivors of child sexual abuse are calling for royal commission hearings to be held in the regional city not Melbourne. (ABC News)

Survivors of child sexual abuse in Ballarat are up in arms over the royal commission's decision to move the hearings to Melbourne later this year.

The commission expects to hear from former bishop of Ballarat, Ronald Mulkearns, and Cardinal George Pell, when it continues its inquiry into Ballarat's Catholic Church in November.

However, the Ballarat and District Survivors Group said it was not consulted on the decision and called for the hearings to be held in the city.

Spokesman Andrew Collins said it was an important part of the community's healing process.

"The next step is to try and get the hearings moved to Ballarat or at least the bulk of the hearings here, otherwise it just won't have the same impact," he said.

"The survivors won't be able to appear and their supporters, it won't be a Ballarat hearing, it'll be a Melbourne hearing and I think for the community to heal and move forward, it has to be a hearing about Ballarat in Ballarat."

Mr Collins said the community had been preparing for the hearings to be held in Ballarat.

"Community groups have been meeting together to see what solutions can be formulated and maybe to trial part of [a] redress scheme here in Ballarat," he said.

"There are bits and pieces that are currently all being put together that we're hoping to have in place before the royal commission hears again in November and most of these have been driven by the community not by the survivors or their support groups and that's the important part."