Australia’s Prime Minister makes national apology to victims of institutional child sexual abuse

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday offered a rare national apology, only the second since 2008, to victims of institutional child sexual abuse and their families, bringing some survivors to tears.

The gesture followed a five-year inquiry into child sexual abuse that delved into more than 8,000 cases of sexual misconduct, most of them at religious and state-run institutions responsible for keeping children safe. 

“Today, as a nation, we confront our failure to listen, to believe, and to provide justice,” Morrison told lawmakers in the Australian capital, Canberra.

“We say sorry. To the children we failed, sorry. To the parents whose trust was betrayed and who have struggled to pick up the pieces, sorry.”

Expressions of national regret such as Monday’s are reserved for egregious misdeeds in which the state has played a role.

In the previous instance in 2008, then prime minister Kevin Rudd apologized to members of the Stolen Generations of indigenous Australians, forcibly taken from their families and communities as young children under assimilation policies.

Morrison also repeated Monday’s apology in a speech to nearly 800 victims, some of whom began to cry, images broadcast on television showed.

“It was very, very intense to be in that room,” Graeme, a victim who identified himself only by his first name, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

In a post on social media, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, said “today was the first time I have been back in Parliament House since I left in 2013. To return there, shoulder to shoulder with survivors of sexual abuse and their families meant a great deal to me. I will forever admire their incredible courage to come forward and tell their stories to the Royal Commission. Today was their day.”

She added “My deep gratitude to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten MP for their moving speeches to publicly recognise the prolonged suffering of so many. The National Apology was an overdue acknowledgement for those who have endured so much pain. Finally, the nation has said we see you, hear you, believe you, value you and we are sorry. My hope is that today stands as an important milestone on the journey of healing and reflects our commitment to walk forward hand-in-hand with survivors. I also hope it is a moment when we all commit to doing everything possible to prevent this dreadful systematic abuse of children’s trust ever happening again. On a personal note, to the survivors; it was an incredibly moving day to share with you. Thank you. I held back my tears, but I am so very proud of what you were able to achieve for so many by speaking out. It’s an incredible legacy, and we can truly say the country is a better place because of your bravery.”