Target sex abuse at 'the top', says Bravehearts in submission

THE royal commission into child sex abuse should investigate allegations of organised pedophile rings, child pornography and prostitution.

THE royal commission into child sex abuse should investigate allegations of organised pedophile rings, child pornography and prostitution and aim to expose involvement of people in "positions of power and authority".

Child advocacy group Bravehearts also wants the national inquiry to examine whether penalties and treatments for child sex offenders are adequate and to suggest models of how pedophiles should be managed in the community.

In a submission to Attorney-General Nicola Roxon on the terms of reference of the royal commission, Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston and research manager Carol Ronken also want a focus on how the criminal justice system responds to child sexual abuse.

"Unless the judicial systems that deal with child sexual assault, including the Family Law courts, criminal courts, civil systems and the Department of (Public) Prosecutions, are included in the terms of reference for the inquiry, the outcomes will fall short (and fail to address) the major issues -- namely, identifying systematic practices, laws, policies that put children at serious risk of sexual assault," they say.

Ms Johnston and Ms Ronken say they are worried over statements that the focus of the commission will be on "public and private institutions and organisations" and the way they handled child sexual abuse.

"This statement is a concern as it appears to exclude the potential testimony of victims and their families who have experienced failures in 'the system' in relation to the protection, identification, reporting and/or response on matters of child sexual assault," they say. "This exclusion will almost certainly lead to a collapse in illuminating key systemic failures which would otherwise inform the commission in relation to the systemic response to and the prevention of child abuse."

They say the terms of reference of the national inquiry should include identifying institutional, bureaucratic and cultural barriers to protecting children against sexual abuse.

It also needs to investigate whether any systemic cover-up of pedophile activity has occurred within police, government, religious and other organisations.

"(The commission should) investigate allegations of organised and/or networked pedophilia, child pornography, child prostitution," the submission says. "And any involvement of people in positions of high esteem, power, privilege or authority across the nation including in indigenous and migrant communities."

The group also wants the commission to make recommendations in relation to prevention of child sexual abuse, from providing personal safety education for children at schools to proper training for legal, medical and police professionals.

The submission was one of more than 720 sent to Ms Roxon on the way the national inquiry should be structured following a short, week-long consultation period.