Australia apologises to church victims of sexual abuse

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has publicly apologized to victims who have been victims of institutional sexual abuse, thus marking the second time since 2008 that a senior official has done so.

This step of Morrison has been taken in the wake of five-year investigation into sexual abuses in which 8,000 cases of sexual abuse are involved, most of them in religious or state institutions that are obliged to create safe conditions for children.

Today, as a nation, we face our failure to listen, believe and bring justice”, Morrison said before lawmakers in the Australian capital, Canberra.

We apologize to the kids because we failed, forgive us. To parents whose trust we have betrayed, forgive us”, he has declared.

Australia has devised a scheme in the attempt to pay damages to victims worth $106,000 each.

However, the conservative government has not yet decided whether to adopt certain recommendations that were created after national investigations and in one of these, Catholic priests are required to report sexual abuses that befall children if they learn of such a thing during the confessional process.

In August, however, at Australia's Conference of Catholic Bishops, it has been decided that members of that conference will not enforce laws proposed by the State.