AUSTRALIA
The Canberra Times
November 14, 2012
Its terms of reference have yet to be officially decided, but the royal commission into sexual abuse in institutions run by governments, churches and community has already been given a potentially wide brief by the Prime Minister. In announcing the inquiry on Monday, Julia Gillard declared there would be no deadline for completion, and that ”victims must be allowed to heal, and perpetrators must be brought to justice”.
These are lofty ambitions, certainly, but many of the victims and their families are likely to be profoundly appreciative. Like a good many other countries, the abuse of children and young adults within institutions has been longstanding and widespread in Australia.
The shame, betrayal and confusion felt by the victims meant that not all of these incidents were reported. Those that were – either to senior church authorities or the police – were frequently denied by the perpetrators and their accomplices after the fact.
To protect the reputation of their churches, senior clergy members have conspired in cover-ups or actively frustrated police investigations.
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