AUSTRALIA
The Australian
RACHEL BAXENDALE
From: The Australian
November 14, 2013
LEONIE Sheedy witnessed brutality almost every day of the 13 years she spent in a Catholic orphanage as a child.
Yesterday, the Care Leavers Australia Network founder and spokeswoman said she was pleased with the recommendations of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations, but felt that it should have included abuse in state-run institutions in its terms of reference.
“I feel very encouraged. The Victorian parliament and the committee have validated all the stories,” she said.
“They’ve recognised the extreme, heinous crimes that were committed against Victorian children in orphanages and children’s homes run by the churches and charities, and they’ve acknowledged that these organisations need to contribute to repairing people’s lives.
“The only thing that’s missing is the state-run orphanages . . . sadly this inquiry didn’t cover those institutions, but at least the royal commission (into child sexual abuse) will cover those.”
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