SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA)
Sydney Morning Herald
December 14, 2017
By Miki Perkins
To be heard, to be listened to, and to be believed.
That’s what survivors of sexual abuse deserve, say the lawyers and social workers who have supported thousands of people who shared their tragic stories with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, to be handed down on Friday.
Megan Ross is the managing lawyer at Knowmore, an independent legal service set up when the commission was established to give free advice to people who might want to tell their stories.
As well as uncovering the horrific extent of child sexual abuse, and devising reforms, the commission has offered a forum where survivors feel heard and believed, Ms Ross says.
“It has been a real privilege to be part of a process like this, where people feel empowered and have a sense of validation. It’s palpable,” she says.
Since July 2013, more than 8000 clients have come through Knowmore’s doors. About 23 per cent of them have been Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. About 20 per cent have been to prison.
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