Melb RC hearing, TJHC police reporting submission, Child protection week, Frankly speaking and more

Welcome to the Truth, Justice and Healing Council eNewsletter September 2015 View in Browser Forward to a Friend Subscribe

TJHC police reporting submission goes to Royal Commission The Catholic Church's Truth Justice and Healing Council has called for the introduction of a new, consistent nation-wide criminal law requiring the reporting to the police of suspected child sexual abuse. In its submission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse issues paper number 8, Police and Prosecution Responses, the Council recommends the new law should require anyone who has a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed against a child to disclose what they know to the police. Read TJHC submission here Church calls for new law on child abuse - The Australian   Read TJHC media release Share this story   Frankly speaking... The failure of headmasters, bishops, administrators and others to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police has been a recurring theme in many of the 30-plus public hearings the Royal Commission has held so far. It has shocked many people and seems to be an unbelievable way, even at the time, in which otherwise committed and conscientious people responded when told about abuse taking place under their watch. New laws are needed to ensure all allegations are reported to the police and are fully investigated. Latest from the Council Joint public hearing into Archdiocese of Melbourne and Ballarat The RC will hold a joint public hearing to inquire into the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the continuation of the Ballarat hearing. It will hear evidence from witnesses common to each hearing. The public hearing will commence sometime between 23 November and 18 December 2015 in Melbourne at the County Court of Victoria. Further evidence in the Ballarat hearing, including the response of the Christian Brothers, will be heard in Ballarat in the first half of next year. Read TJHC media release Ballarat child sex abuse victims consider boycott of Melbourne-based hearings - ABC online Child sex abuse victims back royal commission return to Ballarat but anger remains over Melbourne hearing  - ABC online Read RC media release Share this story How child sex abuse cases from the past are putting huge pressure on the police Child sexual abuse is nothing new, and neither are high-profile scandals around it – or the police's struggles to deal with it. What's changed is the pressure on the police to address allegations of historical abuse, a pressure which has hit a new peak. The Conversation looks at the history and issues of police reporting in the UK. Read article here Share this story National Child Protection Week Last Sunday, Father's Day, saw the start of National Child Protection Week 2015, which is now in its 25th year. For many years it has been one of the most significant events on Australia's child protection calendar with the 2015 campaign highlighting the importance of primary prevention to reduce child abuse and neglect in Australia. "This year's theme, 'Be Someone Who Listens to Children', sends an important message that the safety and wellbeing of Australian children should be at the very forefront of our approaches to protecting children and that listening to children is central," francis Sullivan said. Read TJHC media release   Spotlight film review – Catholic church child abuse film decently tells an awful story Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams star as Boston Globe reporters investigating accusations against priests in Tom McCarthy's worthy, well-intentioned journalism drama about the uncovering of clerical sex abuse in Boston. The Guardian - Mark Ruffalo urges pope to use his new film to heal sex abuse victims Read Guardian review here     Copyright © 2015 Truth, Justice and Healing Council   |   Privacy Policy