If we hold the government accountable to implementing the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, we can create a culture that upholds the rights of children and ensures that victim-survivors are believed and supported.
More than one in four Australians have experienced child sexual abuse, either within or outside institutions. This represents an extraordinary number of people who are living with the devastating consequences of sexual violation. The simple reality of these numbers means that, in our lives, we will all inevitably know, love and care for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse – assuming we have not been abused ourselves.
Abusers need to be prevented from working in institutions, held accountable and removed from positions that give them access to children in institutions. This is generally accepted as uncontroversial but does not always translate into practice.
The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian government’s responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings was established by an order of the Governor of Tasmania in March 2021, and the eight-volume report was handed to the governor in August 2023.
The report gave four key conclusions and 191 recommendations. The government has accepted all recommendations and aims to tackle each one.
Two of the conclusions:
Tasmanian government does not often enough have the right systems in place to effectively address the risks and respond to incidents of child sexual abuse in institutions into the future.
The Tasmanian government does not often enough have a culture that encourages feedback, reporting, monitoring and reflection when responding to incidents of child sexual abuse. Government responses are indisputably inadequate.
Examples of an institution failing to act decisively
For decades, some children and young people detained at Ashley Youth Detention Centre experienced systematic harm and abuse Children in health services. Launceston General Hospital was named as failing to consider and take active steps to stand down staff abusing children in their care despite numerous complaints being made against specific medical practitioners.
Elsewhere, teachers in public schools were allowed to continue employment within those schools despite allegations of abuse.
Obviously due diligence and a thorough investigation must occur whenever allegations are made, but action after abuse allegations did not occur in an expedient manner and abusers were able to continue abusing without consequence.
“Despite some changes made during the life of our inquiry, we continue to be worried about children in out-of-home care and youth detention, as well as Aboriginal children in institutions, and consider improving safety for them should be a priority," the commissioners said.
They said while they saw "pockets of good practice" – largely attributed to the initiative and good judgement of individuals – it was more common that institutions did not recognise child sexual abuse for what it was and failed to act decisively to manage risks and investigate complaints.
In some cases, this was "due to ignorance, inertia, and a desire to protect reputational interests".
Recommendations made from the inquiry include:
Increasing participation of children and young people, victim-survivors and service providers in policy design and delivery.
Creating a new, strengthened independent regulator and advocate for children and young people’s rights and safety, that enables people to report neglect or abuse by a worker towards a child with the expectation that disclosures of abuse are dealt with in a timely manner.
Families need to step up in keeping children safe from abuse.
. . .
Children are instructed to speak out if they’re being abused sexually, yet too often when they do tell they aren’t listened to, they aren’t believed, or nothing further is done to make the abuser accountable for their actions. The abuse often continues unabated.
My daughter, in her own words, tells what it felt like to be vulnerable and unable to stop the abuse from continuing.
“I don't really feel comfortable talking about it … it is never-ending, no matter how hard you try, you just learn to live with it. Every day brings new struggles and triggers. I truly believe children's brains aren't developed enough to ever cope with that trauma.
“I feel like I'm abnormal all the time. I never fit in and have massive social anxiety. I always feel judged and have a severely strong need to please everyone else in hopes they like and accept me.
“I feel very alone because others cannot relate unless they've been through it.”
The Tasmanian government is in the spotlight. It must step up, increase funding targeted to specific services providing support to sexually abused children. The time for talking is done. Government action and investment is crucial.
And we as the public can step up too. Take children seriously when they disclose abuse against them. We must see abusers held accountable.
If we hold the government accountable to implementing the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, we can create a culture that upholds the rights of children and ensures that victim-survivors are believed and supported.
Deborah Thomson moved to Tasmania with her daughter in 2010, and now lives with her partner of nine years and a parrot. She moved to escape domestic violence and, inspired by her new partner, wrote her first book, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Recognising and Surviving Domestic Violence, to help others recognise abuse (and in particular coercive control), in the home, and to increase their motivation to leave earlier. After publishing her first book, she became a trained advocate through Engender Equality, a non-government Tasmanian organisation working with people and communities impacted by family violence. Deborah Thomson advocates for survivors of family violence, speaking at domestic violence events across Tasmania, through media channels and podcasts. She recently completed a second book, detailing lived experience with domestic violence by her then husband, spanning 17 years from 1985 to 2003. This book is now used in Tasmania as an information resource for family violence counsellors and students on practicals.
