Care needed on abuse inquiry

By The Canberra Times
Updated April 18 2018 - 10:50pm, first published November 12 2012 - 3:00am

The push for a royal commission, at federal or state level, or both, into child sexual abuse from within the Catholic Church may well become irresistible to politicians. One can see that by the speed with which NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell switched from opposing to ordering an inquiry. Those considering the need, and those vigorously promoting it, must decide early what they can hope to achieve before they commit themselves to an open-ended and expensive process with the potential to cause as many difficulties as it resolves. For the many victims of such abuse, the very exposure of the truth can be a very good thing, helping them on a path to healing and to reconciliation with an innocence and trust that was shattered. The exposure of perpetrators, with what follows from that, is also in the public interest. So is finding reliable information about the scale of abuse, the number of victims and of perpetrators. Probably as important is a critical review of how the church's practices and cultures responded to what appears to have been an epidemic of such abuse, particularly from the 1950s on. It is clear that some officials responded with denial, cover up, active frustration of inquiries, and, often, the removal of perpetrators from scenes of investigation to places where they might well offend again. Later, different parts of the church began to appreciate the size and enormity of the problem, and to respond with more victim-focused approaches, including modest compensation. But some of these measures are still being criticised as too defensive, and still rather more concerned with the church's reputation than with the well-being of the victims. It seems the incidence of abuse is falling, but any incidence at all is too much.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Canberra news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.