Child abuse
A royal commission into the NSW police has been investigating child sex abuse since the beginning of March. This has led to the media reporting on atrocities that have occurred over the last 10 to 20 years.
A former state ward claimed that he had been repeatedly drugged, sexually abused and assaulted by staff up to twice a week in the 1970s, when he was aged between 11 and 16.
A hot line was opened for victims of paedophilia to call and report their experiences — in approximately one week, it received more than 200 calls from people claiming they were abused while in the "care" of the Department of Community Services or the Health Department.
The welfare system that is supposed to provide for youth is under-funded and not capable of providing the counselling that young people need. A 13-year-old ward had to tell her story repeatedly to 16 different "district officers" charged with managing her case. Eventually she refused to tell anyone about her ordeal.
The Sydney Morning Herald carried an interview with a young male prostitute, who explained that he spends most of his money on drugs and ran away to Kings Cross to get away from Blacktown, where there was some "bad stuff happening". Many male prostitutes are aged between 14 and 16.
Paedophilia is a violation of the rights of children. It is a known problem that many instances of abuse are unreported. The justice system is failing people who have been victims of abuse.
The royal commission and the media have focused on the cases where males have been the victims of paedophilia and where the perpetrators are state employees or rich businessmen, but not instances of paedophilia within the family. This is one hell of an oversight, given that one in three females are sexually assaulted by the time they are 18, in comparison to one in five males. Also, in 95% of child sexual assault cases reported, the offender was an adult known to the child, and in 58% the offender was a family member.
It is ironic that the Coalition's election campaign promoted the family as the best source of welfare. That's fine for children who live in an "ideal" family, but for those who don't — tough luck.
A reliance on the family for welfare will ensure the continuation of child sexual abuse. Children in these situations often end up on the street, or in the "care" of the state, where they are at risk of further abuse.
We need funding for community services that provide resources for children to escape abusive situations — places where they can seek advice or help, or where they can live if necessary. It has to be ensured that these places are a safe haven, not a place where abuse continues.
By Trish Corcoran