UPDATE: Further allegations of unethical actions by insurance companies in regard to child sexual abuse were aired by the BBC on 24 February 2015. More details here. What is the role of insurance companies in dealing with allegations of sexual assault of children? Is it right and proper that they be involved at all? […]
Breaking the Barrier of Silence around Child Sexual Abuse
Professor Shurlee Swain’s third paper for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is a fascinating survey of previous royal commissions and other official inquiries in Australia. “The History of Australian inquiries reviewing institutions providing care for children” (2014) identifies 83 Australian inquiries. Download the paper here. The first, a NSW Select Committee on Destitute […]
History of institutions providing out-of-home residential care for children
This is the 2nd of Prof Shurlee Swain’s three research papers for the Royal Commission It can be downloaded here This will prove to be the most fascinating of the Swain papers for those who are new to this area. It explains the many different types of institutions offering out-of-home ‘care’ for children in Australia from […]
The Papal Trucking Company Pty Unlimited
I highly recommend this opinion piece by Tony Webber in the Dubbo PhotoNews, 30/8/14. In a devastating critique of the church’s scandalous handling of child sex abuse, Tony drives Cardinal Pell’s truck to its illogical conclusions. A trucking company “would not try to gets itself categorised as an unstructured, non-commercial entity to avoid paying due compensation to its victims.” […]
Royal Commission on Child Sexual Abuse
Key points from my submission to the Royal Commission on Child Sexual Abuse: A national redress scheme to which all governments, major churches and relevant non-government organisations contribute equitably is among the most important outcomes that this Royal Commission could give rise to. Written evidence should not be expected in every case; many cases were […]
Paedophilia and Celibacy
In a report of an interview, the Pope acknowledged that paedophilia was common and widespread in the Catholic Church – even at the level of bishop and cardinal – and called the requirement for celibacy among priests ‘a problem’ for which he is ‘finding the solution’. The Vatican denied that he said this. Cardinal George Pell made reference to celibacy […]