Inquiries

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

A Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was established on 11th January 2013. This followed former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s announcement in November 2012 of her intention to establish a Royal Commission and discussions about its establishment with a range of government, community and religious leaders. The Commonwealth Attorney-General at the time released a consultation paper to canvas views about the terms of reference, the form of the Royal Commission, the number and type of Royal Commissioners, and the reporting timetable. In November 2012, PeakCare made a response to the consultation paper.

Six Royal Commissioners were appointed in Hon Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair of the Commission), Mr Bob Atkinson AO APM, Justice Jennifer Coate, Mr Robert Fitzgerald AM, Professor Helen Milroy, and Mr Andrew Murray. They investigated how institutions with a responsibility for children managed and responded to instances of child sexual abuse and where systems failed to protect children, and made recommendations on how to improve laws, policies and practices to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse in institutions. An interim report was released in mid 2014 and the final report was released in December 2017, concluding the five-year term of the Royal Commission. Read PeakCare’s preliminary response to the final report.

Related documents

Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry

Queensland’s third inquiry into the child protection system within little more than a decade commenced with the announcement of a Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry (QCPCI). The Terms of Reference were announced by the Premier on 29 June 2012.

Whilst previous Inquiries – the 1999 Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions (the Forde Inquiry) and the 2004 Crime and Misconduct Commissions Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Foster Care – focused on picking up the pieces of children’s lives after being harmed, this Inquiry’s Terms of Reference provided scope for a much broader examination of the child protection system as a whole, including being specifically tasked to make recommendations about strategies to reduce over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system.

The QCPCI heard a wide range of views through submissions, hearings and witness statements, as well as through responses to emerging issues and discussion papers. A challenge for the Inquiry was to devise ways in which investment in prevention, early intervention and intensive family support services can occur without prematurely depleting the capacity of tertiary services before a reduction in demand for these services is realised.

View the QCPCI Final Report Taking Responsibility – A road map for Queensland Child Protection.