Australia inquiry finds decades-long epidemic of child sexual abuse

A royal commission investigating the sexual abuse of children in Australia found Friday (Dec 15) that the nation was gripped by an epidemic dating back decades, with tens of thousands of children sexually abused in schools, religious organisations and other institutions. The commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, urged the government to consider and respond to its conclusions and 189 recommendations, among them the establishment of a new National Office for Child Safety and penalties for those who suspect abuse and fail to alert the police, including priests who hear about abuse in confessionals.