PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull is under pressure to launch an investigation into elite paedophile rings in Australia, after allegations surfaced of a former prime minister on a police list of suspected paedophiles.

Child sex abuse survivors advocates have backed calls from Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan to expand the royal commission into child sex abuse.

The calls for an urgent inquiry follow the Senator’s sensational claim yesterday that he has a police list which names 28 prominent people, including a former PM, as suspected paedophiles.

Nicky Davis, the leader of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) urged the Mr Turnbull to act, saying the government should immediately announce a thorough investigation of elite paedophile rings in Australia, similar to one already underway in the UK.

Senator Heffernan’s revelations came as no surprise to many survivors of child sexual abuse, Ms Davis said in a statement early on Wednesday.

“The rape, torture, and murder of Australian kids by those who believe themselves above the law is the real terror threat which demands prompt and effective action above all other issues,” she said.

“Those on the list feel entitled to commit these and other atrocities, secure in the knowledge that damaged victims would never be believed, and their crimes would never be investigated.”

Ms Davis said many survivors of child sexual abuse had approached the royal commission but felt they were not being heard.

Senator Heffernan yesterday called on Attorney-General George Brandis to expand the royal commission so that it includes the legal fraternity.

The long-serving senator is a vociferous campaigner against paedophiles, but his information hasn’t always been right.

In 2002 he used parliamentary privilege to falsely accuse a judge of using Commonwealth cars to procure young men for sex. He said there was sadly a compromise at the highest levels.

“There is a former prime minister on this list and it is a police document,” he said yesterday.

Senator Heffernan said the documents, delivered to him by a police agency some time ago, were very disturbing.

“No one seems to want to deal with them,” he said.

“It’s not so much the secrets that’s the problem. It’s when a group such as the 28 people on this page keep each other’s secrets.”

Senator Heffernan said the Wood royal commission in the 1990s indicated it was going to explore which members of the Sydney legal fraternity used to attend Costellos, the boy brothel club in Kings Cross. The commission, however, did not look into Costellos.

“A lot of them are still practising,” he said.

Mr Brandis said just because someone’s name appeared on a list didn’t make them guilty.

He advised Senator Heffernan to go to the current child abuse royal commission, which would decide if the information was something it could inquire into.

“We should respect any decision of the royal commission about the ambit and scope of its terms of reference,” he said.