Royal Commission – Families Australia Oration

On the 31 March 2014, the Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM, Chair, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse presented a paper at the 2014 Families Australia Oration. His presentation provided an overview of the Royal Commission’s work to date:

• 1,426 private sessions have been held with 1,065 people awaiting a session.
• 141 matters have been referred to police.
• Nearly 62% of private sessions reported sexual abuse in a faith-based institution.
• Nearly 35% were in a school setting.
• 30% were in welfare institutions, the majority faith based, including orphanages, children’s homes and residential facilities.
• 21% accounted for government-run institutions.
• To date there have been public hearings into around 20 institutions and allegations of abuse have been received in relation to 1,950 institutions
• Associate Professor Leah Bromfield has been engaged to determine the issues that the Commission’s research should examine.

For more detailed information on the valuable work and the research undertaken, please refer to the copy of the oration on the Royal Commission website.