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Articles on Royal Commission into child sex abuse

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Former carer Natalie Ottini shared her experiences of working in residential group homes on the ABC’s Four Corners program. ABC/Poppy Stockell

Nothing to see here? The abuse and neglect of children in care is a century-old story in Australia

We have decades of evidence showing the widespread abuse and neglect suffered by children in the out-of-home care system. The agencies responsible for allowing the abuse have little to fear.
Journalists with the skills to dig into social media can discover connections between key players in complex, often global stories. Mathias Rosenthal via www.shutterstock.com

How social media is helping Australian journalists uncover stories hidden in plain sight

From a social media post that cracked open a decades-old abuse scandal in the UK and Australia, through to tracking asylum seekers, social media can be vital in breaking investigative news stories.
A doll lies in the ghost town of Pripyat, abandoned since the nearby Chernobyl power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986. Henrik Ismarker/Flickr

Friday essay: Svetlana Alexeviech didn’t make it to the Royal Commission

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has documented heart-rending testimonies and elicited shattering revelations. But how does a society witness itself failing at its most fundamental duty?
Peter Dutton dismissed many of the ‘Nauru files’, including those documenting sexual assault, as ‘false allegations in an attempt to get to Australia’. AAP/Dan Peled

The Nauru files: why don’t we believe victims of sexual abuse?

Peter Dutton’s comments reinforced historically ingrained ideas about sexual assault victims as being ‘unreliable’ or ‘untrustworthy’.
With attendance at mass continuing to flag, the Catholic bishops’ influence has waned with it. Shutterstock

Catholic bishops speak out – but is anyone listening?

The Catholic bishops have exhorted Australians to cast a “vote for the voiceless”, but it is doubtful that their plea will be paid much heed – by politicians or the public.
The last census revealed that just over 60% of Australians identified as Christian, but only one in seven of those attended church regularly. Shutterstock

This Easter, churches will be praying for a rebirth

Church affiliation and attendance is on the wane in Australia – a trend that is unlikely to be reversed be the recent slew of sex abuse scandals.
George Pell’s evidence, which implied that children’s complaints of abuse were widely disbelieved ‘back then’, overlooks the long history of successful prosecutions. AAP/Jeremy Piper

To believe or not to believe: child witnesses and the sex abuse royal commission

George Pell told the royal commission into child sex abuse the Catholic Church was predisposed not to believe children’s complaints. But, when abuse was reported, police and the courts believed them.
Tim Minchin’s song-craft is direct yet sophisticated, and artfully constructed. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Tim Minchin’s Come Home Cardinal Pell is a pitch-perfect protest song

Tim Minchin’s latest musical offering, Come Home Cardinal Pell, is provoking strong reactions because of its blunt and direct message to Cardinal George Pell. But in terms of song-craft, it’s a winner.
Nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, Spotlight has won over critics with its compelling story and strong cast featuring Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo. Entertainment One Films Australia

Review: Spotlight’s revealing story of child abuse in my home town – and maybe yours

If you haven’t seen Oscar winner Spotlight yet, go. It tells the true story of how decades of abuse in one city was finally uncovered - followed by revelations worldwide, including in my home town.
Some who survived abuse as children have waited a lifetime to be heard, and the royal commission has given people like John Ellis that opportunity. AAP/Jeremy Piper

A small act to give abused children a voice

The silencing of children has as long a history as child abuse itself. It is why we need royal commissions, books, and now a play: to allow children to tell us the truth of what was done to them.
Former Prisoner star Maggie Kirkpatrick was found guilty of a charge of child sex abuse dating back to the 1980s. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

Why does it take victims of child sex abuse so long to speak up?

Many factors are at play in enabling or constraining a child to speak directly about abuse and bringing that complaint to the attention of the authorities.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are under the spotlight at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

Jehovah’s Witness hierarchy means child sex abuse goes unreported

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not report child abuse to authorities. Instead, they convene an in-house judicial committee, which is fraught with difficulty because they rely on a “two-witness rule”.
An issue to emerge from the royal commission hearings is the inadequacy of existing law for dealing with institutions whose negligence made child sexual abuse possible. AAP/Royal Commission

When institutions let child sexual abuse happen, that should be a crime

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has published a research paper that suggests organisations be held criminally responsible when their negligence results in harm to children.
Broadcaster Derryn Hinch is a prominent campaigner for US-style sex offender registries, but it is important to be aware of their limitations. AAP/Dan Peled

Sex offender registers don’t mean we can assume children are safe

Western Australia was the first state in the nation to allow public access to a sex offender register online. The public needs to understand how it works to avoid a false sense of security.

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