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Child Sex Abuse Royal Commission: Archbishops" Evidence Will "Help Provide Closure for Survivors"

By Timothy Fernandez and Philippa McDonald
ABC News
February 3, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-04/archbishops-evidence-will-provide-closure-for-abuse-survivors/8241082

The Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council has welcomed the announcement that almost all Australian Archbishops will front the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The Archbishops of Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra-Goulburn are due to give evidence in Sydney, where they will be asked what is being done within the church to protect children.

PHOTO: Francis Sullivan says the Archbishops' evidence will provide closure for abuse victims. (AAP Image: Paul Miller)

During the hearing, the royal commission will release the details of the extent of reported child abuse dating back to 1950.

Chief executive of the church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council Francis Sullivan said the hearing would help give closure to the survivors of abuse.

"All along survivors have wanted answers, they wanted to know why it occurred," he said.

"You need to speak to the leaders, who will have the responsibility of putting in place the appropriate standards of protection, and you need to speak to the leaders, who can explain what the church has done over the last 20 years to make the church, hopefully, a safer place.

"You have to have the top level of leadership of the church answering those questions, otherwise the royal commission will not have a proper assessment of what's possible in the Catholic Church."

Mr Sullivan called for the establishment of an independent body to monitor new preventative measures and help restore credibility to the Catholic Church.

PHOTO: Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart leading a service. (Joe Castro: AAP)

The bishops of Darwin, Broome, Parramatta and the Maronite diocese of Australia are also on the witness list.

Catholic Church leaders around the country were on the front foot last week, warning the release of data on Monday at the royal commission would detail an "horrific portrait of appalling abuse".

Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge was so concerned about the impact of the statistics relating to the extent of reported abuse within the Catholic Church, he emailed a video message to tens of thousands of Catholic school parents.

Archbishop Coleridge's video message will be played in more than 200 churches in the Brisbane diocese throughout the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 




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