AUSTRALIA
Bendigo Advertiser
16 Aug 2016
As the Royal Commission into sexual abuse draws to a close, there are some first glimpses of some key objectives that will be instrumental in establishing its worth, framing the path toward healing communities and even shaping the future of the nation.
Importantly Justice Peter McClellan’s address to the children’s welfare conference has highlighted the broader cultural issues which have underlined and exacerbated many of the horror stories which have emerged at the Commission.
“Although the primary responsibility for the sexual abuse of an individual lies with the abuser and the institution… we cannot avoid the conclusion that the problems faced by many people who have been abused are the responsibility of our entire society,” he said. “Society’s values and mechanisms which were available to regulate and control aberrant behaviour failed.”
McClellan has hinted we are all as a society to blame for this shameful period of neglect and indifference because of the cultural influences that shaped the high-risk environment. The victims were paid too little heed. The voices of children went unheard, while the authority of institutions went unquestioned. The ghastly silence which encouraged perpetrators was exacerbated by unfounded respect in the institutions that hid them and a cursory dismissal of the young people who were calling for help. By accepting some degree of the culpability for the broader forces which shaped this failure, there is the chance for greater vigilance and compassion in the future.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.