Joanne McCarthy from the Newcastle Herald is the winner of the 2013 Gold Walkley. In the last seven years, she has written more than 350 articles about the sexual abuse of children, primarily by Catholic clergy in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. It was her relentless campaign for a royal commission that prompted a letter from Julia Gillard.
“Thanks in very large measure to your persistence and courage,” the former prime minister wrote, “the New South Wales Special Commission of Enquiry and the Federal Royal Commission will bring truth and healing to the victims of horrendous abuse and betrayal.”
http://www.walkleys.com/walkleys-winners/2013_gold_walkley_joanne_mccarthy/
http://www.walkleys.com/walkleys-winners/2013_gold_walkley_joanne_mccarthy/