PM tells victims: ‘It’s your time now’

A DAY after announcing the most extensive royal commission in Australian history, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has thanked advocates against child sexual abuse for years of tireless campaigning.

The prime minister hosted a morning tea at Kirribilli House yesterday and comforted some overwhelmed guests who had themselves been affected by abuse.

She said she wanted to show victims the community silence surrounding child sexual abuse was over.

‘‘I know there are a lot of people here, as individuals and as representatives of their groups who probably thought they would never see this day,’’ Prime Minister Gillard said.

‘‘I’m really aware that I’m looking out at a group of people who over years, indeed decades, have fought for justice for people who were abused as children. I know that people here have raised their voices time after time after time to say that our nation has to face up to the consequences of what happened, we have to shine a light on it. It’s going to be painful, it’s going to be hard but we’ve got to do that so that we can learn for the future.’’

Attendee Vicky Davis, who was sexually abused as a child and is an advocate for SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), said Gillard’s words surprised her. ‘‘It’s nothing I ever expected to experience. I’m so used to people refusing to deal with this issue and just turning their backs on it, ignoring it, pretending it never happened and lying about it.

‘‘ To actually have the most powerful person in the country say ‘this is not OK, we’re going to look after you guys’ . . . ’’ she said, breaking down with emotion.

For John Hennessey OAM, who met Gillard holding a photo of his mother May, whom he was taken away from at birth, to only meet her 65 years later, said the prime minister’s words had meant a lot to him. ‘‘It’s a world-first, and once again Australia leads on child abuse. I am one of those victims and I’ve lived it all my life. A lot of people say ‘get with it, move on’, but they’ve got no idea.’’

Gillard said there were going to be more difficult days ahead for abuse survivors but she hoped by telling their stories they could make a positive impact on the safety of all Australian children.

‘‘It’s really important that people get the message that we want to hear their story, after many years of people being shunned and spurned and having doors slammed in their face, to tell those individuals, it’s your time now to tell your story.

‘‘I hope that, in of itself, brings some healing. To get there we’re going to need to stick together through what will be, at times, a very hard process,’’ she said.