Ballarat Sex Abuse Survivors Thankful for Inquiry

ABC
November 12, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3889704.htm

A Victorian inquiry into sex abuse in institutions will be tabled in Parliament today.

It began last year, before the national Royal Commission into similar sorts of systemic failures and the Victorian inquiry has had a special focus on the central Victorian city of Ballarat, which has a long history of abuse in schools and children's homes.

Some of those who've made submissions are thankful for the chance to tell their stories.

From Ballarat, Kate Stowell reports.

KATE STOWELL: After being abused in the 1950s, John says he's had a lifetime of suffering the consequences.

JOHN: I've had a lot of issues with relationship problems, in particular workplace difficulties. It affects your whole life. It affects your decisions with your family, with your children, with your society. In every way, it affects your life forever.

KATE STOWELL: John says his abuser at the Queen Street primary school was never brought to justice and he says that's made the chance to tell his story all the more significant.

JOHN: I'd made complaints to the State Education Department and the Victoria Police previously and neither of those bodies took any action on my complaints. I, like all abuse victims, we find isolation and nobody was willing to listen so to go to, to hear of the parliamentary inquiry was a fundamental path for me to have my voice included.

KATE STOWELL: John says whatever recommendations the inquiry makes, there's a form of justice in simply being heard.

JOHN: I've seen many people over the course of this last 12 months since the inquiry has been conducted, and they are very damaged people. For them, to now be heard will be a very important day in their life that hasn't been recognised before. Worse, it's been denied by people in positions of authority.

KATE STOWELL: Many Ballarat survivors have also praised the staff at the local Centre Against Sexual Assault, which runs a fortnightly support group for local men.

The centre's senior counsellor, Andrea Lockhart, is the organiser.

ANDREA LOCKHART: So it's pretty informal. We have pizzas at the beginning. There's not a lot of structure around but it's incredible how much they get from it and they talk to each other and it's so vibrant and alive.

And there's a lots of tears and some laughter. But the main thing is that people get such a relief when they think, oh, that happened, that's how I feel, or that's how I feel, and even though their experiences might be different.

KATE STOWELL: Ms Lockhart says she wants tougher rules on reporting abuse and more resources for police to investigate historical cases.

As for compensation, John says he'd like to see the institutions such as schools or churches pay for the crimes of their employees.

A group of abuse survivors from Ballarat are travelling to the Victorian State Parliament this morning to hear the inquiry's findings in person.

TONY EASTLEY: Kate Stowell reporting from Ballarat.