A VICTORIAN government inquiry into institutionalised child sex abuse has produced an emotional response in the Legislative Council this morning.
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The inquiry's key recommendations include:
• MANDATORY reporting of child sex abuse;
• EXCLUDING organisations such as the Catholic Church from any civil action statute of limitations;
• HAVING alternative avenues of justice for individuals who don't wish to take legal action;
• GREATER monitoring of organisations and enhancement of prevention systems.
Family and Community Development Committee chairman Georgie Crozier said the report was titled "Betrayal of Trust".
"The reasons are clear. Children were betrayed and suffered unimaginable harm," Ms Crozier said.
She said families and communities were also betrayed by the failure of organisations to protect children.
Western Victoria MLC David O'Brien broke down several times as he spoke about the abuse in the Ballarat diocese, listing the towns affected.
"This list refutes any suggestion this abuse was not systemic in the Ballarat diocese," Mr O'Brien said.
Both parliamentary members and the packed gallery applauded all the speeches, with council president Bruce Atkinson saying: "It's hard to stop the gallery from applauding when the members do."
