AUSTRALIA
WA Today
[with video]
November 13, 2012
Michelle Grattan and Richard Willingham
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has announced a sweeping royal commission into child sex abuse that will probe organisations ranging from the Catholic Church and state authorities to the Boy Scouts and sporting groups.
The inquiry into institutional responses to abuse will not just look at perpetrators. It will also cover those who were ”complicit” – for example, in alleged offenders being moved around – or who by ”averting their eyes” committed acts of omission. It will also look at how police have responded to the problem
Ms Gillard said the allegations that had come to light recently were heartbreaking. ”These are insidious, evil acts to which no child should be subject,” she said.
The victims deserved the ”most thorough of investigations” and to have their voices heard, she said.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.