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INTRODUCTION
Australia is a land of the great outback. A vast island continent that contains within it all sorts of climates along with unique flora and fauna. It is also one of the youngest countries to fall under the mantle of a new Western Civilisation in the world.
It is also one of the most harshest and isolated countries with a national identity that is still being formed and a history that is still being uncovered. Perhaps it is the vast isolation and fledging identity that allowed for many, many decades of institutional child abuse to occur, seemingly unchecked until now.
These crimes addressed in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses towards Child Abuse are endless and all-reaching, sometimes occurring over 60+ years ago. Even our Cardinal to the Vatican (Cardinal Pell) has become embroiled in some of these claims which the Royal Commission Into Institutional Child Abuse Response has investigated.
photo of ABC News TV Broadcast
Today our Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull addressed parliament in relation to the recommendations and investigations of the Royal Commission. He plans to address the nation and all the victims to this institutional child abuse by the end of the year.
It is hard to deduce whether our Prime Minister understands the importance of this Royal Commission and what it has uncovered thus far. In addressing parliament today and also mentioning that all the states in Australia have to set aside differences to administer the Redress Scheme to victims (worth + $4billion) he is not treating this issue as one of the utmost importance.
I will be exploring in this post some of my research and personal experiences regarding the absolutely endemic levels of institutional child abuse occurring in Australia, both in the past and present. It’s such a mammoth issue (especially considering the immense size of the Royal Commission’s resultant reports and recommendations) that I will try to keep my focus to only the background in relation to why this Royal Commission was required.
WHY IS IT OCCURING?
Is it because we live in a disconnected world? To say we do is a half-truth. On the community level we certaintly do live without community awareness. This lack is caused by not knowing your neighbours, not caring for strangers and each other throughout the daily interactions with society we all have.
Sadly, I cannot specify what has led to this crumble of social foundations or even when the crumble began and then became the avalanche we face today.
We are technologically more connected and contactable than ever. We have at out fingertips the greatest tools for information available. Yet the problems seem to persist, deepening in severity and horror with each new case.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
I am not a stranger to Child Protection Services and #exposingexploitation. I have worked in an industry previously where you have to know about the risks to your client in their industry. So I have been exposed to instances in this field of work where public policy/legislation, poverty, corruption and child abuse/exploitation exist. The vast majority of these instances occurred in the remote regions of Western Australia, in indigenous communities.
I have read this steemit post which tells a similar story with Canada’s Native Peoples. I recommend you do the same to realise that such ingrained intergenerational abuse and neglect is not isolated to my experiences.
I surmise that it's worth exploring further the fact both nations are constitutional monarchies and seem to take identical approaches with trying (then subsequently failing) to address the plight of their native peoples living traditionally. A reason why such appalling conditions exists in such communities might be found if further investigation is undertaken.
I also have friends who tragically were victims of institutional child abuse and the severely irresponsible and lacking attitudes from those institutions where they suffered the abuse.
THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES TOWARDS CHILD ABUSE
This Royal Commission was a monumental federal crown enquiry into it's topic. It spanned over four years and has resulted in thousands upon thousands of pages detailing the many many hours work undertaken and victim of child abuse statements taken.
I have not been able to read the commission enquiry in it's entirety due to it's size and depth. I have however gone over the recommendations and final report to provide some indication of what our federal government reported on. Screenshot below.
Please refer to this link (.pdf) on the Australian Federal government’s website for a summary of all the abuse victim’s statistics from the information collected when they contacted the government to be part of the public hearings with their testimony.
Final Report -Preface & Executive Summary (.pdf) contains recommendations that the Commission has provided to the Federal Government. Currently the government is stating that it will be enacting the vast majority of the Commission's recommendations.
This report also contains the executive summary that discloses and identifies the risks which permit child abuse and particular cases of this child abuse in institutional settings.
Some broad statistics regarding the victims
It is estimated that over half a million children experienced institutional or other out-of-home ‘care’ in Australia during the 20th century, page 39
As at 30 June 2016, there were 46,448 children in statutory out-of-home care throughout Australia – up from 25,454 children in 2006 and 13,979 in 1996, page 40
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THE ROYAL COMMISSION
As I mentioned in the introduction, our Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke today regarding this Royal Commission and what he intends to achieve from it's investigation and list of recommendations.
The Federal Government appears keen to enact the vast majority of the recommendations and is urging the constituent states of Australia to allow the same.
Listening to the local talkback radio and looking on twitter I can see a mix of responses varying from backlash (the government can't enact the recommendations as presented as they are not effective or optimal enough) to elation that the recommendations were going to be accepted and enacted.
It is still too early days to attempt any measurement of the effectiveness of the Royal Commission and any resultant commitment to providing a better nation for children who do go into institutional care or education. I remain hopeful that we will see positive and proactive changes in public policy and an increase in the amount of severe prosecution against paedophiles. I do believe that our government does know of the severity and frequency of the issues faced and how they may have possibly provided a framework of isolation and complacency to neglect it's detection and punish the perpetrators appropriately
If not.... Well.... I will have plenty more to write about so I can awaken a community consciousness and also raise the righteous ire and indignation until there's significant progress made.
QUICK NOTE ON #familyprotection
image from @markwhittam steemit post quoted below.
Familyprotection is a group of steemians either directly involved in the Child Protection Services sphere or have had experiences with them that are worthy of sharing. The group considers it worthwhile sharing these experiences as an educational and risk prevention resource. It is a group that is still gaining traction as the obfuscated nature of Child Protection Services, the institutional abuse of children and the governmental policies becomes an increasing cause for concern.
It is a group that deserves as much traction as possible. The concept of protecting the family unit as the basis and foundation for the raising of a child is only the springboard into this deep, abyssal issue. If you have a search of the #familyprotection tag, you will see that the issue is increasing in its severity. #familyprotection is addressing this, and shortly so will #exposingexploitation.
There are so many angles to consider here that we cannot stop at just CPS agencies or consider any victory won over them as wholistic to the cause of protecting the sanctity of a child's mind and body. It is imperative that all of us involved remain focused and co-operative in our earnest efforts to make the world a safer place. There are just so many opportunistic deviants who are waiting in the wings to take advantage of any weakness or ignorance, that we must maintain resolve to steadily continue on our often intersecting paths.
I urge you to interact with the group. Start with leaving thoughtful comments that show you understand the post and the issues addressed within it. Ask questions and share your own experiences.
Here is a post that resonated and left an impact on me:
Here is a comment i left on the same post:
The below two steemit posts specify what is expected of those who use the #familyprotection tag. The importance of #familyprotection 's message must be unsullied by those who wish to exploit it. Whether for steemit's cryptocurrences or other personal reasons, abuse of the tag and non-related posts will be discouraged and addressed:
I feel that not only does the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse deserve this tag: it exemplifies it.
Throughout the thosands of pages that took many years of researching, investigation and reporting to present to the Australian, we gain a sufficient understanding of the majority of risks facing children in difficult family situations.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Some issues I want to address separately in relation to Institutional Child Abuse and lack of #familyprotection are as follows;
Analysis of the complete Royal Commission reports and recommendations (yes all approx 4000+ pages of them. Wish me luck)
What is Redress WA? A similar investigation was undertaken by the State of WA to have victims of institutional child abuse step forward, be heard and seek redress.
#familyprotection
and why it’s one of the most vital and essential presences on Steemit today.
The absolutely endemic child abuse occurring at aboriginal remote communities and aboriginal corporation controlled native title lands. The Pilbara and Kimberley Region of Western Australia in particular has the highest recorded rates of child sexual abuse in the world.
Exclusive Jewish schools and their instances of teachers & staff fleeing the country to Israel once their abuse of the students of these schools is discovered and they are to be sentenced. Malcolm Turnbull did visit Israel late last year with a side agenda to address the extradition of these jewish paedophiles to Australia so they could face court. Refer Manny Waks.
Thank you for reading and taking an interest in this dire problem.