Fed: Child abuse inquiry set to report next week

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2004
Fed: Child abuse inquiry set to report next week

By Paul Osborne

CANBERRA, Aug 24 AAP - Harrowing stories by former wards of the state about abuse in
institutions will be highlighted in an inquiry report to be released next week.

The Senate community affairs references committee's inquiry into children in institutional
care was set up in March last year.

Committee chair, Labor senator Jan McLucas, said the report would be presented to the
Senate on Monday.

Parliamentary rules prevented her from revealing the report's recommendations, which
were expected to be finalised via a teleconference today.

But she said the many personal stories presented during the inquiry would take centre stage.

The inquiry examined the extent of abuse of children in institutions and foster care,
its long-term impact and recent measures to address it.

It was also asked to consider whether all governments should make a formal apology
to abuse victims and their families, and make reparations.

Two landmark reports, the 2001 Lost Innocents inquiry into child migrants and the 1997
Bringing Them Home inquiry into Aboriginal children, were central to the committee's deliberations.

But it was not asked to consider specific cases currently before the courts.

The inquiry was told hundreds of personal stories of abuse and torment in government
and church-run institutions over decades.

One hearing was told of a former ward being afflicted with a long-term eating disorder
because she was made to eat vomit and faeces as a form of punishment.

Another victim said going to the dentist had become traumatic because of previous forced
oral sex while he was in a home.

Advocacy group Bravehearts presented research that figures from 10 years ago - which
showed one in three girls and one in six boys would be sexually abused before they were
18 - had eased only marginally to about one in four girls and one in 12 boys in recent
studies.

The Christian Brothers Ex-Residents and Students Service was among many groups which
called for a government apology.

"Many CBERSS clients are also former child migrants and ... their distress is compounded
by failure of governments to acknowledge any responsibility for earlier policies that
lead to trauma," it told the inquiry.

"These matters need to be resolved if these men are to be able to live the latter part
of their lives with some form of symbolic peace."

The NSW Commission for Children and Young People told the inquiry solutions lay not
only in improving child protection and family support systems, but involving the whole
community in supporting parents, disadvantaged children and young people, families in
poverty and indigenous people.

AAP pjo/sb/it/sd

KEYWORD: ABUSE

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