This week the Commission firstly heard from members the Truth Justice and Healing Council about the development and operation of the new child protection standard setting and reporting body with in the Church, Catholic Professional Standards Ltd.
Later in the week six senior bishops and archbishops gave evidence about the factors that have played a part in the abuse of children in the Catholic church.
The Commission also heard from the leaders of several of the major congregations in which most had significant levels of child sexual abuse offenses and perpetrators.
The hearing and the week concluded with the six Australian metropolitan Archbishops giving evidence about the systemic, structural and other issues in the Catholic Church which have contributed to the child sexual abuse crisis.
Read TJHC hearing room updates and other material here
Week three of the final Catholic Church hearing at the Royal Commission is not all bad news. This is the week that Church leaders are appearing to explain why the scandal has occurred and what can be done to make the Church safer for children and people generally.
One after another the leaders are outlining the changes to structures and processes they have put in place to better meet protection and prevention standards. But they are also emphasising the need for a cultural shift in the Church.
Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long tells Royal Commission of his own sexual abuse
Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen has told the Royal Commission that he is a survivor of clerical sexual abuse.
"I was also a victim of sexual abuse by clergy when I first came to Australia, even though I was an adult, so that had a powerful impact on me and how I want to, you know, walk in the shoes of other victims and really endeavour to attain justice and dignity for them," he told the Commission.
There is a common misconception that all child sex offenders are men. But women child sex offenders do exist, although they differ from male counterparts in several ways.
Xanthe Mallett, forensic criminologist with the University of New England writes on The Conversation website that there are some important points of difference between male and female perpetrators of child sex abuse.
Royal Commission publishes submissions on records and recordkeeping
The Royal Commission has published more than 40 submissions on Records and Recordkeeping Practices in relation to child sexual abuse in institutions.
The submissions received came from a wide range of government and non-government organisations including state governments, not-for-profit organisations, advocacy groups, professional bodies, research groups, religious organisations, academics and individuals.
Public hearing into Commonwealth, State and Territory governments
The Royal Commission's Case Study 51 inquiring into the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments will commence on 6 March 2017.
The Commission will call senior representatives of relevant departments within the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to investigate issues including the responses of the States and Territories to the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
The hearing will also look into the Federal government's response to Child Protection Panel's report from May last year about the wellbeing and protection of children in mainland and Nauru immigration detention centres.
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