Ballarat child abuse survivors hope UN committee acknowledges harm

ABC News
November 19, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-19/ballarat-survivors-of-child-abuse-hope-un/5902000

A group which represented Ballarat survivors of child abuse at the United Nations hopes the UN acknowledges the harm survivors have suffered.

Earlier this month, the Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) spoke to the UN committee against torture, which is due to hand down its report next week.

CLAN alleges children in care were used for experiments and suffered electric shocks.

The group's Leonie Sheedy said it was important the UN acknowledged the various forms of abuse inflicted upon children in care.

"I want them to acknowledge in their final report that we do have the royal commission about sexual usage but there are more ways to harm children than sexual usage - it's the brutality, it's the beatings, it's the unpaid labour," she said.

"I hope that the committee will show respect for the torture and suffering and humiliation that we children in Australia suffered."