(AUSTRALIA)
Crux [Denver CO]
August 16, 2024
By Crux staff
A Western Australia parliamentary committee gave its final report after examining the support available to survivors of institutional child abuse, saying the Catholic Church and other religious entities had put their own institutional and financial wellbeing over the needs of victims.
“Institutions that maintain an unholy wall of silence can only be doing so as a strategy to limit their financial liability rather than providing just outcomes for victim/survivors,” the committee said in its report.
Specifically mentioning the Christian Brothers, the report accused the Catholic religious group of trying to hide information on the abuse of children under their care to protect their financial viability.
“It is the conspiracy of secrecy and institutional denial around abuse that not only adds to the trauma suffered by those who were abused but also obstructs their path to justice,” committee member Christine Tonkin told state parliament on Thursday.
“The evidence of survivors is that the Christian Brothers make it as difficult as possible for survivors to come forward,” committee member Dave Kelly said.
The report said more needs to be done to provide justice to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
The Catholic dioceses of Western Australia – Perth, Bunbury, Geraldton and Broome –issued a joint statement, acknowledging the release of the committee report.
“The Catholic Dioceses of Western Australia extend their heartfelt and unreserved apology to all those who have suffered the horror of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and lay Church workers. The four dioceses acknowledge the life-long harm and impact of child sexual abuse on victims and survivors perpetrated by people they trusted within the Church,” the statement says.
“The protection of children remains the highest priority for the Catholic Dioceses of Western Australia. The Catholic Dioceses of Western Australia fully supported and responded to all requests for information and data by the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee during its Inquiry. Further, detailed written submissions were provided for the Committee’s consideration,” the Western Australia dioceses continue.
The statement said the Catholic dioceses will take the appropriate time to thoughtfully consider the report’s content and subsequent recommendations.
“Accordingly, before being afforded the necessary opportunity to do so, the Catholic Dioceses of Western Australia will make no further comment on the Inquiry or its report at this time,” the dioceses add.
Their statement also urged any person with allegations of child sexual abuse, no matter how long ago it is alleged to have occurred, to report the matter immediately to the police.