Abuse hearings end: ‘I’m done’

The final witness to give evidence to the child abuse royal commission said he felt “wrung out” yesterday.

Abuse victim Steven Smith with partner Rachael and daughter Danika yesterday. Picture: John Feder

The final witness to give evidence to the child abuse royal commission said he felt “wrung out” after stepping down from the witness box yesterday, four years after the national inquiry began.

Steve Smith, who was sexually abused by an Anglican priest ­between the ages of 10 and 15, wiped away tears as both he and the six commissioners were ­applauded at the end of its 57th and final public hearing.

“I’m done,” Mr Smith said after the hearing. “I’ve been through the criminal justice system. He (the abuser) is dead. I’ve been to the highest legal auth­ority — the royal commission. I gave the last evidence. It’s over.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Smith, who is one of more than 1200 witnesses to give evidence during 400 days of public hearings, thanked the commission “for the opportunity to be able to finally have my voice heard”.

“We should never again find ourselves in this situation where generations have been devastated and lives have been lost due to the indifference and self-serving attitudes of institutions in this country,” he said.

In a letter tendered in evidence, his daughter Danika described the suffering her family had endured as a result of both her father’s abuse and its attempted cover-up by the church.

“We are only one family. One victim ... My heart breaks for the families living without loved ones because the pain was too great,” she wrote in the letter, sent on ­behalf of herself and her ­siblings.

“After what I know now, my child will never be baptised, never attend a school that is in any way affiliated with a religion and will never be left alone with any other adult other than about four people I trust,” the letter said.

Mr Smith was one of six victims to give evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse yesterday, while a seventh witness described the ­impact of abuse suffered by her brother.

Commission chair Peter McClellan, who has steered the $372 million inquiry since it was established by then prime minister Julia Gillard, said “we started with the voice of survivors, it’s important that we finish with your voices, so thank you”.

“Without them the realities of child sexual abuse and the extent of institutional failure could not be recognised,” he said.

Anthony Foster, two of whose daughters were abused by a Catholic priest, yesterday criticised the fact few, if any, of the ­institutions where such crimes took place were at the hearing, saying “it’s not just poor, it’s incredibly telling of the attitude”.

About 8500 people will have given evidence in private to the commissioners by the time their work ends in December this year. Almost 2000 cases have been ­referred to the police ­nationwide.