‘Ritual abuse’ in sex abuse royal commission report, despite claims QAnon inserted it to Scott Morrison’s speech

ABC claims distinction between “ritualised abuse” detailed by the royal commission, and “ritual sexual abuse” mentioned by PM.

The ABC’s Four Corners reported on Monday that Tim Stewart sent text messages claiming he’d had the phrase ­’ritual abuse’ inserted into Mr Morrison’s 2019 apology to victims of institutional sex abus. Picture: ABC

Ritual abuse was identified by the royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse as a regular experience of victims, despite claims Scott Morrison used the term in a speech under the influence of a conspiracy theorist.

The ABC’s Four Corners reported on Monday that Tim Stewart – a family friend of the Prime Minister who believes the world is controlled by a cabal of Satanic paedophiles – sent text messages claiming he’d had the phrase ­“ritual abuse” inserted into Mr Morrison’s 2019 apology to victims of institutional sex abuse.

The term “ritual abuse” has been identified as a key word for followers of the QAnon conspir­acy, who also believe a global child sex trafficking ring is being led by Hollywood actors and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, in their online forums.

The ABC on Tuesday said there was a distinction between the “rituals” and “ritualised abuse” detailed by the royal commission, and the “ritual sexual abuse” mentioned by Mr Morrison in 2019.

“The terms have two distinct meanings. ‘Ritual’ is ceremonial while ‘ritualised’ refers to something that is repeated – such as military hazing ceremonies,” an ABC spokeswoman said.

“The examples … all refer to ‘ritualised’ – repeated – abuse, mainly in the context of military hazing ceremonies. The Prime Minister did not use the phrase ‘ritual sexual abuse’ in that context in the national apology speech.

“(Four Corners) is accurately reported and raises questions it is legitimate and in the public ­interest to ask and examine.”

The second volume of the royal commission’s final report includes several mentions of how victims of abuse described rituals of hazing and rape across orphanages, churches, the Australian Defence Force and other institutions.

“In some private sessions, we heard about how many of the forms of sexual abuse described above were used in ritualistic or initiation settings to instil institutional culture. For example, institutions may condone sexually humiliating rituals or initiation practices, including forced public nudity, hazing and rape,” it says. The report also highlights ritual abuse of children involved in ADF youth troops and mentions that “ritualised abuse” has been a recurring theme in the media.

“The abuse took place within an informal hierarchy in which older recruits physically and sexually abused more junior recruits as part of the ritualised practices of bastardisation that were designed to break in and humiliate the new entrants to the navy.

“The media reported on high-profile alleged offenders, organised paedophile networks and ritualised abuse in Australia and overseas. As awareness grew, so did knowledge of related behaviours, such as grooming.”

The texts between Mr Stewart and a former QAnon believer in which Mr Stewart purports to have inserted the phrase “ritual sexual abuse” into the speech formed the cornerstone of Monday night’s Four Corners episode.

The report was hotly anticipated after its original air date was pushed back when ABC managing editor David Anderson decided it was not ready to run.

In the program, UNSW criminologist Michael Salter said mental health groups came to him after Mr Morrison’s 2019 apology to sex abuse victims and raised that the term “ritual sex abuse” was used regularly by QAnon.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie tabled a petition in parliament last November that called the royal commission an inquiry into “ritual abuse”, but on Tuesday said he would not have done so if he knew the words’ connection with QAnon conspiracy.

The QAnon investigation was the most-watched Four Corners episode of the year to date.