Teary-eyed Australian PM apologises to child sex abuse victims
Canberra [Australia], Oct 22 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday briefly broke down and publicly apologised to the victims of child sexual abuse in institutions.
ANI
Oct 22, 2018 14:53 IST
Canberra [Australia], Oct 22 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday briefly broke down and publicly apologised to the victims of child sexual abuse in institutions.
Speaking at the Australian Parliament, Morrison said that the distressing experience suffered by the victims from church orphanages to youth groups and schools had been "hiding in plain sight for too long", CNN reported.
"We honour every survivor in this country, we love you, we hear you and we honour you," he said.
The Australian leader also rued that victims affected by physical, sexual and mental abuse had to commit suicide due to the trauma they endured for years. He also urged the victims to come forward and make their revelations.
Morrison expressed hope that the apology would "give strength to others who were yet to share what happened."
"Today Australia confronts a trauma, an abomination, hiding in plain sight for far too long. Today we confront a question too horrible ask, let alone answer, why weren't the children of our nation loved, nurtured and protected?" he added.
Morrison's apology comes after a recent probe on institutional sexual abuse in Australia, spanning five years, shockingly revealed thousands of such cases, the CNN report said.
Earlier this year, Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse had come out with a report of sexual abuse of children at different institutions dating back to decades.
Costing 500 million Australian dollars, the government had prepared the report after hearing the horrific ordeals of thousands of victims over five years, while warning that children were still being sexually assaulted. (ANI)
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