Child abuse royal commission concludes with warning abuse still happening

THE child abuse royal commission has ended with a final sitting and a warning that children are still being harmed in institutions today.

Justice Peter McClellan described historical child sexual abuse as a “national tragedy”. Picture: Jeremy Piper

THE child abuse royal commission has ended with a final sitting to publicly mark the conclusion of the five-year inquiry.

In that time the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard from thousands of abuse survivors and made more than 2,500 referrals to authorities including police.

Commission chair Justice Peter McClellan used today’s hearing, attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and opposition leader Bill Shorten, to thank survivors.

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The commission will present a final report to the Governor-General tomorrow, which will then be tabled in parliament and published online.

The report is expected to be many volumes and cover areas including understanding the nature of child sexual abuse, redress and findings.

The commission is also expected to make a series of recommendations.

It has already called for significant reforms to make institutions safe for children.

Justice McLellan said historical child sexual abuse was a “national tragedy” but warned it was still occurring in institutions today.

But he warned the number of children being abused in family settings far exceeded those abused in institutions.

“If the problems we have identified are to be adequately addressed, changes must be made,” he said.

“There must be changes in the culture, structure and governance practices of many institutions.”

More than 4000 individual institutions were reported to the royal commission as places where abuse occurred, with tens of thousands of victims.

“The sexual abuse of any child is intolerable in a civilised society,” Justice McLellan said.

“It is the responsibility of our entire community to acknowledge that children are being abused.

“We must each resolve that we should do what we can to protect them.

“The tragic impact of abuse for individuals, and, through them, our entire society, demands nothing less.”

Justice McLellan also presented the National Library of Australia with a book of around 1,000 messages written by survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

The book, titled Message to Australia is a collation of personal messages written by those who shared their story to the commission during one of 8000 private sessions.

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