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Introduction to the group submission made on behalf of more than 40 people in the Ballarat region:
THE content of this submission has been compiled from the stories of 12 victims.
The information has not been separated out and attached to any one particular victim.
Rather, it has been consolidated so as to create one generic document.
The remaining 32 victims who, due to the severe trauma, were unable to speak about their experiences and/or unable to put together a submission of their own, have added their names to this submission as they fully support its content, which also reflects their experiences.
The men who did speak about their experiences and contribute to this group submission, have endured subsequent stress and trauma.
They would like the committee to know this and to appreciate the strength and energy it takes to put together a submission for this Inquiry.
The fact that there is an inquiry into the crimes and cover-up of the Catholic Church means an enormous amount to these men and their families.
A lot hangs on the outcomes of this inquiry.
This submission includes lists of the types of physical and sexual assaults and crimes that were committed, the names of the perpetrators and the impacts of these crimes on the victims and their families.
The submission also addresses the questions from the Committee’s Submission Guide 10.1-10.6.
There is also a section on the victims’ experiences with the Towards Healing Process.
The intended use of the term “victim” is that it includes the term “survivor”.
