South Australia. Wereld jongeren? "nothing prepared me for the foul undercurrent of society revealed".

Sex abuse: State says sorry
17/06/2008 12:25 - (SA)

Sydney - An Australian state government and several churches issued a joint apology on Tuesday to children who were sexually abused while in their care.

South Australia Premier Mike Rann told state parliament in Adelaide the findings of a three-year inquiry into claims of abuse involving hundreds of children from the 1930s to the present were "shocking".
The inquiry heard from 792 children who said they had been sexually abused while in state or church care by 1 733 alleged perpetrators from the 1930s onwards.
Rann read an apology signed by the government and the Anglican, Catholic, Uniting and Lutheran churches, the national AAP news agency reported.

"We, the government of South Australia and the churches, recognise that some children and young people who were placed in our care suffered abuse that has impacted their lives," he said.

"We are sorry and we express deep regret for the pain and the hurt that they experienced through no fault of their own.

"To all those who experienced abuse in state care, we are sorry. To those who witnessed these abuses, we say sorry.

"To those who were not believed, when trying to report these abuses, we say sorry."

When former Supreme Court judge Ted Mullighan handed down his inquiry report in April he said "nothing prepared me for the foul undercurrent of society revealed".
"I was not prepared for the horror of the sexual cruelty and exploitation of little children and vulnerable young people in state care by people in positions of trust," he said.

The former judge found the abuse of those in care occurred in every type of environment including church institutions, government and non-government homes for children and youth shelters and foster homes.