AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Emily Bourke, staff

The Catholic Church’s response to abuse complaints will be under the spotlight at the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse which gets underway today in Sydney.

The hearings will focus on the Towards Healing process, established by the church in 1996 to respond to complaints of abuse against the clergy.

Sexual abuse victims and their lawyers maintain it is a process that re-traumatises survivors and should be scrapped altogether.

Starting today, four victims are expected to give evidence relating to allegations against priests and brothers of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, the Diocese of Lismore and the Marist Brothers.

The commission’s chief executive, Janette Dines, says the four people giving evidence are courageous.