AUSTRALIA
The Australian
MILANDA ROUT and RICK MORTON
From:The Australian
January 17, 2013
THE head of Julia Gillard’s royal commission into child sex abuse has issued a fiery opening warning to churches, state governments and other institutions that he will not let them hide behind confidentiality agreements with their victims.
In his first public statement as chair of the commission, judge Peter McClellan said the inquiry expected full co-operation and it would “not hesitate” to use its powers to force reluctant organisations to provide evidence or hand over documents.
He also warned the public the task facing the commission was immense and it would take many months before they could even “gauge the full extent” of the work required to examine institutional responses to child sex abuse.
Joined by his fellow five commissioners at a press conference in Sydney, Justice McClellan said there was considerable public debate about confidentiality agreements and whether the commission had the powers to overturn them. It followed concerns expressed by victims groups, revealed in The Australian, that survivors may not be able to testify if they had signed non-disclosure clauses as part of any settlement.
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