The Royal Commission released its Interim Report on July 1st 2014. The report discusses the work already completed, what has been learned so far and outlines what must be done by the Commission to fulfill its Terms of Reference and the time and resources that will be needed to complete the task.
Some facts and figures to date:
- 1.677 private sessions have been held
- 1,632 written accounts submitted
- There have been 13 public hearings in capital cities
- 21 research projects have been completed
- 7 Issue Papers have been released
- Allegations of child abuse in more than 1,000 institutions
Several themes have emerged:
- Sexual abuse often occurs with physical and psychological abuse
- Abuse can have lifelong impacts on health, and may lead to victim suicide
- Some children are particularly vulnerable due to age, disability, geographical isolation, no trusted adults, inadequate training and staff supervision
- Repeated abuse and multiple perpetrators are common
- There are major barriers to disclosure and reporting
- Institutions and adults have systematically failed to protect children
- Impacts of sexual abuse may affect victims parenting, families and community
Nature and Prevalence of Abuse:
- 90% of perpetrators were male
- On average, female victims were nine years old and male victims 10 years old when abuse started.
- On average it took victims 22 years to disclose the abuse, men longer than women
- Many instances of child abuse were reported some years ago however, it can be confirmed that abuse remains a contemporary issue.
Public Hearings:
Public Hearings are already bringing positive and significant change. Various institutions are reviewing their management practices and past responses to victims. Government and many institutions have initiated processes to enable their effective participation in the consideration of policy outcomes.
By the end of 2015 the Commission will be able to complete no more than 40 public hearings. The Commission needs a further two years to complete the additional 30 hearings identified as essential to fulfill the Terms of Reference. If an extension is provided, key institutions will be requested to report publicly on policy and procedures which have been put in place to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.
Please feel free to contact us with any comments or thoughts on the Report.
(The points above have been extracted from the Royal Commission Interim Report http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/
