Chairman reveals at least 30 more institutions must be examined and that the Vatican is yet to respond to a request for documents

Time is running out for the child sexual abuse inquiry to hear all the cases before it is scheduled to end, the chairman has revealed.



Peter McClellan said the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse would only have time to hold 40 more hearings, even though “at least 30 more” institutions must be examined in public.

He also revealed that the Vatican was yet to respond to a request for key documents.

Speaking to a men’s health symposium at Griffith university in Brisbane, McClellan said the commission had contacted the Vatican and requested documents relating to complaints of abuse by Catholic priests, as well as “documents which reveal the nature and extent of communications between Catholic congregations in Australia and the Holy See”.

However, only some documents relating to an upcoming hearing in Wollongong have been received, and the royal commission is still awaiting a reply to its general request.

The commission, begun by former prime minister Julia Gillard to investigate decades of systemic failures by institutions to protect or respond to children who were abused while under their care, has referred more than 160 matters to police for investigation, and allegations have been levelled at more than 1000 institutions.

“Although the terms of reference contemplate that the final report should be delivered not later than 31 December 2015 this was always recognised to be unlikely to be achieved,” said McClellan.

“When the prime minister announced the appointment of the commissioners of the royal commission she said that the terms of reference do set an end date for the royal commission of 31 December 2015 but that end date can be extended if necessary.”

McClellan said the royal commission had received stories of abuse from more than 3300 individuals. Of that number, 1730 people met with commissioners to tell their story in private sessions. With 40 requests for private sessions coming into the commission every week, there was still a queue of 1000 waiting their turn.

McClellan said many more are expected to make contact.

“When we commenced our work we were told that there were many people who would be cautious about contacting the commission,” he said.

“They would prefer to wait and see whether they could trust our processes before coming forward. We are now receiving calls from people who tell us they have watched the commission, followed its public hearings and listened to others who have come to us. Now that they understand the nature of the commission and trust our processes they feel safe in telling us their story.”

Private sessions have been held in capital cities, some regional and remote areas and, more recently, within the prison system.

Case studies examined in more than a dozen public hearings, have revealed decades of shocking failures among some of Australia’s most respected institutions – including the Salvation Army, the Scouts and several arms of the Catholic church – to adequately respond to abuse of children in their care.

“It has been suggested by some people that the problems we are looking at are all ‘historical’, happened in the past and are unlikely to occur today,” McClellan said.

“An analysis of the institutions reported to us in private sessions confirms that, although it is possible that the level of abuse has diminished, the reality is that the potential remains.”

McClellan revealed that about a third of all institutions reported to the commission can be described as an industrial school, training school, reformatory, orphanage or children’s home.

One third of complaints received were from people abused in a school or educational setting, and 16% in a place of worship, church youth group or seminary.

“It is only the child migrant children and children born out of wedlock who are no longer in institutions,” said McClellan, who said “opportunities for abuse remain”.

