Victims Welcome Solid Step Towards Abuse Inquiry

ABC
January 11, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-11/victims-welcome-solid-step-towards-abuse-inquiry/4461662?section=act

[with audio]

Victims of sexual abuse and their families have welcomed the Inquiry's terms of reference. However, some say the treatment of victims' families should also be specifically listed in the terms of reference.

SALLY SARA: For the victims of institutionalised sexual abuse this Royal Commission has been a long time coming. Lives have been ruined and families shattered. Sadly for some, the inquiry comes too late. Many could no longer live with the pain and shame of what had happened and took their own lives.

And while the Royal Commission's terms of reference have been welcomed by many, some say the treatment of victims' families should also be part of the inquiry.

And a warning, Annie Guest's report contains some disturbing content.

ANNIE GUEST: After lifetimes of hurt and campaigning for justice, there's been a collective sigh of relief from victims, their families and advocates after the release of the inquiry's terms of reference.

JIM BOYLE: I didn't think we'd get here as fast. We thought this might take another five years.

ANNIE GUEST: Four decades ago, Jim Boyle's then 14-year-old brother Gavan was sexually abused by a monsignor attached to the Melbourne Cathedral.

JIM BOYLE: He was anally raped by Monsignor Jones on at least two occasions and emotionally destroyed by it.

ANNIE GUEST: Ashamed, Gaven waited until after his parents died to tell his story at age 49, two years before he died.

JIM BOYLE: He died from a combination of alcoholism, starvation because he neglected himself and cancer that he'd not had treated. Although it took many, many years, I'd say his death was a direct result of the abuse he suffered.

ANNIE GUEST: After his brother's death, Jim Boyle says a Catholic headmaster told him he'd warned boys to be careful around the monsignor, yet did nothing more to protect them.

Gavan received some compensation for his abuse, but Jim Boyle says the church badly treated not only his brother but also the family, and the inquiry should not overlook that.

JIM BOYLE: The terms of reference seem to be specific to survivors where sex abuse does occur. Both my sister and I have been in shock about it. My wife is terribly traumatised by this process.

ANNIE GUEST: Do you think that it should look at secondary victims as you call them?

JIM BOYLE: Oh yes, because this damage affects the families involved.

ANNIE GUEST: The terms of reference for the Inquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse includes looking at relevant laws, but Jim Boyle wants more certainty that new laws will be enacted to make it a crime to endanger children, as exists in Ireland.

Meanwhile, the Royal Commission will not examine child sexual abuse within families.

Dr Cathy Kezelman is from the group Adults Surviving Child Abuse.

CATHY KEZELMAN: Look we know the majority of abuse occurs within the home and family. We were aware, I think from the word go with the announcement of this commission, that this commission would focus on institutional child sexual assault.

ANNIE GUEST: You said you hope this has a flow on effect to raise awareness of family abuse as well. How do you see that happening?

CATHY KEZELMAN: Well I think it's generally uncovering the silence and secrecy around child sexual abuse in the first instance but hopefully other forms of abuse and childhood trauma.

We need to be much more aware of the need to protect our children.

ANNIE GUEST: Meanwhile, the New South Wales detective chief inspector Peter Fox, who was a catalyst for the establishment of the Royal Commission, is pleased the inquiry has taken a step forward.

Last November he told the ABC his investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy had been hindered by the church and the NSW Police Force.

Earlier, he told The World Today he welcomes the inquiry's direction to set up police investigation units to support the inquiry.

PETER FOX: A lot of these crimes will cross state boundaries. New South Wales Police can only investigate crimes that happen in New South Wales and likewise with South Australia or whoever else. But by having its own investigative body doesn't hamper the men and sort of say, well listen, if we've found some degree of cover up or something that's wrong that is occurring in three or four different states, we don't have to break it up into three or four different investigations. A single investigating body can deal with the whole picture and that's as it should be.

ANNIE GUEST: He also encourages victims to continue taking allegations to police.

SALLY SARA: Annie Guest.