Thousands of victims of sexual abuse whose lives were shattered and traumatised by the Catholic church and other institutions received an emotional apology from premier Scott Morrison today.
In a formal announcement of national regret, Mr Morrison came close to tears as he delivered the apology in Parliament House. Hundreds of survivors and their families travelled to Canberra for the address, in which the prime minister spoke of an “abomination that had been hiding in plain sight for too long”. He said: “Today as a nation we confront our failure to listen, to believe, and to provide justice,” adding: “We say sorry.”
Mr Morrison said it was time Australia confronted the “silenced voices, the muffled cries in the darkness … the pleas of tortured souls, bewildered by an indifference to the unthinkable theft of innocence. Why weren’t the children of our nation loved, nurtured and protected? Why was their trust betrayed?
“Why did those who know cover it up? Why were the cries of children and parents ignored? Why was our system of justice blind to injustice? Why has it taken so long to act? Why were other things more important than this, the care of innocent children? Why didn’t we believe?”
A four-year inquest that delivered its final report in December revealed shocking evidence from more than 17,000 survivors and heard allegations against government, church and private institutions, as well as prominent individuals. More than 200 prosecutions have begun.
The government has already accepted 104 of the commission’s 122 recommendations, including redress payments, with the other 18 still under examination. It has also established a new office of child safety, to report to the prime minister.
MPs stood for a minute’s silence following the apology, which came with the announcement of government plans to create a museum and research centre to raise awareness of the impacts of child sexual abuse.
Mr Morrison promised the nation would never forget the horrors they suffered, and pledged the government would report on the progress of a Royal Commission’s recommendations every year for the next five years.
While many survivors and campaigners went to Canberra to hear the apology, many are still calling for far more work to be done to address the history of abuse.
Hetty Johnston, founder of the Bravehearts support group for victims, said: “There is a lot of anger in the community. They’ve made it very clear they want these recommendations implemented as they were intended, and it’s yet to see whether the government will actually do that.”
