AUSTRALIA
SBS

Source: AAP
26 NOV 2014

The UN Committee against Torture is this week expected to address the powers of Australia’s child abuse royal commission, with implications for Australian-Vatican relations.

The committee will discuss its review into Australia’s adherence to the convention against torture in Geneva on Friday.

Abuse survivors campaigner Nicky Davis says she hopes the UN delivers a firm ultimatum.

“I hope the UN CAT very clearly puts the Australian government on notice that anything less than serious, widespread reform to ensure that in future these crimes are properly investigated, offenders are held responsible, re-offending is prevented, and survivors helped to recover, will be totally unacceptable,” she said.

Ms Davis, the head of Survivors Network for People Abused by Priests (SNAP) says the issue being addressed by the UN is “a political and legal system, that values the impunity of powerful predators far above the…