A ROCKBANK woman who suffered years of abuse in an orphanage has welcomed the federal royal commission into institutional abuse.
Judith Leonard, 65, hopes the inquiry will persuade adults who were abused as children to come forward.
Ms Leonard said she and many other children who tried to tell their stories were often told to stop lying.
“We were told it was a fairytale or that it was our imagination,” Ms Leonard said.
She said there were many instances of cruelty at the Victorian orphanage where she stayed.
“You would be punished if you lost a toy you were given — if you were given one at all. You were locked in a room like a cell.
“I was luckier than most, but we are still suffering today . . . and needing social workers and doctors to help us understand why we feel the way we do.
“Sometimes I just break down and cry.
“The abuse will only stop when every man, woman and child says this abuse can not continue.”
Ms Leonard said she had been empowered by the support given by the Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN).
“For years, I have felt like I didn’t fit into any world, but I finally feel like I fit.”
Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the commission last week amid a flood of fresh allegations about systematic abuse and cover-up by the Catholic church in NSW.
Announcement of the commission coincided with Victoria’s state parliamentary inquiry into sexual abuse by clergy.
Scores of non-profit groups, including sports clubs and Scout troops, will be included in the investigation, which will extend far beyond the Catholic church and other religious orders that have been the focus of sex abuse concerns in the past.
Cardinal George Pell said Australian bishops would co-operate fully with the commission. But he defended the way the church had dealt with complaints.
Western suburbs resident Keith Broadbent said victims had endured “enough tragedy” in their lives. He said many had been unable to maintain relationships, while some remained too afraid to reveal what happened to them.
“Men are the worst for it. They don’t speak about it . . . I think there is a lot of shame associated with it if you’re a man.”
He hoped the royal commission would encourage victims to speak out.
“I think the greatest hope in all of this is that the truth comes out and that the perpetrators are punished for their crimes,” he said.
“There need to be laws put in place that prevent this ever occurring again.”
CLAN executive officer Leonie Sheedy said governments, churches, charities and organisations had to be held accountable for criminal assaults, rapes, child labour and the neglect of children.
“It is now time for these organisations to assist in healing and repairing people’s shattered lives,” she said. “They deserve justice and reparation from the government for what has been done to them.”
The commission’s terms of reference are being drawn up. It is expected to start its work at the beginning of next year.
To contact CLAN, phone 1800 008 774. Open Place, a support service for ‘forgotten Australians’, meets in Bacchus Marsh on the first Monday of each month.
Details: 1800 779 379
