AUSTRALIA
The Canberra Times
May 18, 2015
David Ellery
Reporter for The Canberra Times.
Australian children are less likely to be sexually abused in schools, church groups and elsewhere than before the establishment of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Allegations of Sexual Abuse, a former victim and commission witness says.
Damian De Marco, a former Marist Brothers Canberra student who testified about abuse and abuse cover-ups in the ACT last June, fears this may only be temporary however.
“One of the good things about the commission (hearings) is awareness of the problem is now so high and people are very watchful,” he said.
“They (people in authority) are not sceptical when complainants come forward. Children are safer – for now.
“But that’s not happening worldwide and, secondly, this (interest and concern) will die down some day. There is no guarantee the state of heightened awareness will be permanent.”
Mr De Marco said the only way to break the global cycle of abuse was for the church to address the
These included mandatory celibacy, discrimination against women in the leadership of the church, a culture of secrecy and obedience and the cult of clericalism in which clergy were “almost more than human”.
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