AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

December 9, 2013

Catherine Armitage
Senior Writer

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them: for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

With this remark, the Catholic Church’s barrister, Peter Gray, SC, had the hearing room at the royal commission into child sexual abuse erupting in anguish and anger.

They cried out “What an insult!”, “What a joke!” and “Good Lord!” Some walked out. From outside the room sobbing and wailing could be heard.

Survivor of abuse, Les Johnson 72, from Sydney grew up in orphanages in the Newcastle and Gosford area in the 1950s among protesters outside the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse public hearing into the response of ‘Towards Healing’, being held in Sydney. 9th December, 2013.

Many present were once little children, now damaged adults, thanks to…