When the Commission to Inquire into Child
Abuse began its work, hundreds of adults who had grown up in the care of
the State gave evidence about their experiences in the residential
institutions. A horrifying story began to emerge, as witness after witness
gave consistent, compelling accounts of emotional and physical abuse,
sexual abuse, cruelty and neglect.
The witnesses spoke on the
understanding that the records of their testimony would be destroyed
when the final report was published. Many of them had never spoken
before about their experiences and some had never told anybody, even
wives and husbands, about what they had endured.