AUSTRALIA
ABC – The World Today
ELEANOR HALL: The Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicked off last night, with some traumatic childhood experiences as the subject matter.
Our reporter Rachael Brown was curious about how you could turn this into comedy. She went along to a show about the royal commission into the church to find out.
(Sounds from Cardinal Sins comedy show).
FRANK HAMPSTER: Corporal punishment, he said “you can get a tap on each hand”. You could audibly hear David Ridsdale from the back of the court go, “what about six of the best?” You know?
(Audience laughs)
RACHAEL BROWN: Frank Hampster’s memories from the alter are being laid bare on stage
The former altar boy had never spoken about his sexual assault by a Ballarat priest in the ‘80s, until being called before the royal commission last year.
(Sounds from Cardinal Sins comedy show).
FRANK HAMPSTER (singing): I can’t recall that, that didn’t happen; can you repeat the question once more?
RACHAEL BROWN: How do you find comedy in child sex abuse?
FRANK HAMPSTER: Well comedy was my only means of defence, I was six years old when I was first exposed to, by a person that was a priest in Ballarat.
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.