Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday made an emotional national apology to thousands of Australian victims of institutional child sex abuse for failing to protect them from the “evil dark” crimes committed over the decades and voiced his anger at those who have misused the “shield of faith and religion” to hide their misdeeds.
The formal apology followed a national investigation into institutional sexual abuse in Australia, which spanned five years and stunned the country with revelations of thousands of cases of shocking abuse in institutional settings like churches and orphanages.
In a speech which was broadcast live across the country, Morrison said the trauma suffered by the victims had been “hiding in plain sight for too long.”
“To the children we failed, sorry. To the parents whose trust was betrayed and who have struggled to pick up the pieces, sorry. To the whistleblowers, who we did not listen to, sorry. To the spouses, partners, wives, husbands, children, who have dealt with the consequences of the abuse, cover-ups and obstruction, sorry. To generations past and present, sorry,” Morrison said.