THE announcement of an inquiry into child sexual abuse by religious organisations has been met with anger, concern and some careful optimism, with Ballarat victims welcoming a chance for justice.
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The year-long inquiry, announced by Premier Ted Baillieu and Attorney-General Robert Clark yesterday, is to be conducted by a state parliament committee rather than as a royal commission and will report by April 30, 2013.
“We regard child abuse as abhorrent and we will endeavour to do whatever we can to prevent it from happening, and indeed bring those who are perpetrators of child abuse to justice,” Mr Baillieu said.
“The pain of victims has gone on for too long.”
The activities of clergy in Ballarat are expected to feature strongly in the inquiry, with evidence related to assaults committed by convicted Christian Brother Robert Charles Best and other clergy at St Alipius Christian Brothers school in the 1960s and 1970s to be heard.
Calls for an inquiry have been growing in recent days following the leak of a report by Ballarat Detective Kevin Carson, which detailed as many as 40 suicides linked to sexual abuse in Ballarat.
Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart and Ballarat Bishop Peter Connors have both pledged to co-operate with the inquiry, which will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence and produce documents.
Dr Wayne Chamley, spokesperson for victims’ group Broken Rites, offered qualified support for the inquiry.
“It’s very disappointing that a parliamentary inquiry is not going to have the teeth to get to the bottom of what has been going on for the last 40 years at least,” he said.
“But we believe it is a good outcome, and just a matter of waiting and seeing that it is sufficiently resourced and conducted well.”
Ballarat MP Sharon Knight said the inquiry would make sure mistakes and crimes of the past were not repeated.
“I would hope that the inquiry would be comprehensive, particularly around the number of complaints as well as the nature of those complaints and, most importantly, the knowledge of abuse by clergy,” she said.
After proposing a royal commission, Oakleigh MP Ann Barker said yesterday that she was concerned by the inquiry’s terms of reference.
“My research into the Ireland inquiries in particular, showed very clearly that there were many instances where government departments or bodies did not adequately respond to allegations of abuse, and I remain of the view that this should be a very important part of any inquiry,” she said.
Ms Barker said the 12-month reporting period would require the inquiry to have strong powers to recover documents and full details on the practices, policies and protocols for the handling of allegations of criminal abuse of children.
She said the announcement was the start of a process desperately needed to ensure justice for many victims, survivors, and their families
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