By KATH GANNAWAY
THE chair of the Royal Commission investigating child sexual abuse which opened last week in Melbourne has indicated that the commission will challenge authorities that have previously been out of bounds.
Justice Peter McClellan opened the long-awaited Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse at the County Court on 3 April in response to years of pleas and lobbying by victims of institutional abuse and their families – including the parents of children abused by convicted paedophile priests in Healesville.
“One (change) which is important for the work of this Royal Commission is our preparedness to challenge authority and the actions of those in power in areas where this would not previously have been contemplated,” Justice McClellan said.
He said more than 40 Inquiries in Australia had touched on issues raised by the Royal Commission’s Terms of Reference, as well as many overseas.
Parents of Healesville abuse victims had made submissions to the Victorian Government Inquiry into Clergy Abuse, stating they were pleased to see the start of the Royal Commission.
The Healesville parent of the child abused by Fr David Daniel told the Mail he would put in a submission and was cautiously happy with the way the Commission was heading.
“The Catholic Church has a reputation for being very slippery operators, and we just have to hope that what comes from this will give the legislators enough to pass the legislation they need to protect our children,” he said.
He said mandatory reporting across all levels of the Catholic Church was high up the list of what needed to happen and called also for the church itself to make changes to its celibacy laws.
The mother of the child abused by Fr Paul Pavlou also said mandatory reporting was an issue for both investigation in terms of her own case, and for future protection of children.
Justice McClellan said the next phase of the Commission’s work was to hear people’s accounts.
He said people who wish to tell of their experience of child sexual abuse in an institutional context could contact the Commission on 1800 099 340 between 8am and 8pm, or write to GPO Box 5283, Sydney. NSW, 2001.
The website is www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au .
The commission is required to provide an interim report to the Federal Government by 30 June 2014.
