AUSTRALIA
ABC – 7.30
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 12/11/2012
Reporter: Leigh Sales
Brendan O’Connor, Acting Minister for Families, joins us from Parliament House to explain the Government’s decision to announce a Royal Commission into institutionalised child abuse.
Transcript
LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Joining me now from Parliament House in Canberra is the Acting Minister for Families, Brendan O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor, what’s triggered this Royal commission are child sex abuse allegations in the Catholic Church. Why not have a targeted, clearly-defined investigation into that institution?
BRENDAN O’CONNOR, ACTING MINISTER FOR FAMILIES: Well I think we’ve seen now the child sex abuse allegations come to light in such a broad way across the country that there needs to be an appropriate response. We’ve also seen state governments inquire into child sex abuse in a particularly confined way. The Federal Government had to make a decision, and indeed the Prime Minister has made that decision in consultation of course with cabinet, to recommend to the Governor-General that we establish a Royal commission because it’s the best means by which we can ensure that we allow the victims’ voices to be heard, allow claims to be investigated, and most importantly, perhaps, ensure that we examine thoroughly the institutional responses to child sex abuse.
LEIGH SALES: But my question is: why is the Royal commission not confined to the Catholic Church? Are you not running the risk of diluting it by broadening it and ensuring that it could go on for years, if not decades?
BRENDAN O’CONNOR: Well the child sex abuse offences and indeed allegations of child sex abuse are not confined to one church. They’re not confined to one religious organisation. Unfortunately, offences against children have occurred to children in state care and indeed have occurred to children under the care in other religious organisations and of course also not-for-profit organisations. It would be very unfair and quite cruel to confine the examination – or the commission’s examination to one body.
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