Gillard launches royal commission into child abuse

Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced the creation of a national royal commission into institutional responses to instances of child sexual abuse.

The decision was taken at a meeting of federal cabinet this afternoon.

Ms Gillard had been under pressure to act following growing calls for a national inquiry into explosive allegations by a senior New South Wales police investigator that the Catholic Church covered up evidence involving paedophile priests.

A number of senior Labor MPs, as well as key independents, had already voiced their support for action on a national scale.



Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-12/abbott-backs-call-for-child-abuse-royal-commission/4367364

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Both Government and Opposition have been reluctant to see a Royal Commission, which has wide-ranging powers, into the abuse question, but were forced to respond to overwhelming public demand. The public's outrage has been fuelled by revelations by a senior NSW police officer who accused the Catholic Church in Australia of widespread coverups and destruction of evidence in regard to accusations of child sex offences against Catholic priests in the Hunter Valley region in New South Wales.

The police officer, Det. Chief Inspector Peter Fox, detailed some horrific stories on the ABC's Lateline program last Thursday night in an interview with Tony Jones, and revealed that he had been taken off the investigation when he informed his superiors that a whistleblower had given him an "explosive" statement about paedophilia in the Catholic Church.

It may take as long as the investigation into abuse in Ireland, which took ten years, but it's high time something was done. There has to be question marks not only about the role of bishops in the coverups, but of senior police and politicians as well.

This is truly a victory for the people - and social media.

Link to the Lateline interview here: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3629022.htm