MK forum

From today's Sydney morning herald.....(its long so I have edited bits out and highlighted important bits for any NTM leadership or members who might be silent readers on this site)

But first a quote from the Prime Minister.....
"We want your voices to be heard. Even if you felt for all of your life that no one’s listened to you".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard



THOUSANDS of child sexual abuse victims have been offered the prospect of financial compensation for their treatment at the hands of churches, schools and other institutions.

The royal commission into child sexual abuse will be asked to report on what institutions and governments should do to address the past and future abuse of children. This could include forcing institutions to offer redress, having crimes referred for prosecution, and offering support services.
Announcing the terms of reference, the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said Australia must never again avert its eyes from the ''evil and horrible'' spectre of child sexual abuse.

'Hideous, shocking and vile crime'. ''Any child being subject to child sexual abuse is an evil and horrible event,'' Ms Gillard said. ''What I think is so confronting about much of what is in the public domain now is the sense that there were systemic issues, and that there were eyes averted and children left in harm's way when changes could have been made and issues of abuse addressed. We've got to learn from that, so we do better in the future.''

She said the commission would focus solely on the sexual abuse of children within organisations and institutions, including police, schools, sporting clubs, orphanages, foster care, and religious organisations.

''It will not deal with child sexual abuse in the family [and] it will also not deal with abuse of children which is not associated with child sexual abuse,'' she said. The commission will report on ways that children in institutions can be better protected and identify the impediments that prevent children reporting abuse. A former president of the Australian Law Reform Commission, David Weisbrot, said the bill for the inquiry would probably exceed the $100 million cost of the Victorian royal commission into the 2009 bushfires.

The only other country to have held such a wide-ranging inquiry into institutionalised abuse was Ireland.

Ms Gillard announced the commission in November after scores of reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and allegations of institutionalised cover-ups. The government came under pressure to broaden it beyond the Catholic Church.

The Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, said the inquiry would have ''far-reaching powers'' that could allow it to override confidentiality agreements made in settlements with victims, or to issue immunity from prosecution. But the public needed to moderate expectations.

''This royal commission is not a police force; it is not a prosecuting body.'' She said if anyone had an allegation about child sexual abuse, they should take it to the police. And while the inquiry does not have the power to prosecute individuals, the government will ensure allegations of sexual abuse raised by the commission can be investigated and, if proved, prosecuted.

Victims of child sexual abuse linked to institutions can bring their stories to the inquiry.

The commissioners have the power to look at any private, public or non-government organisation involved with children. It has been asked to focus on systemic issues.
Does the royal commission lay charges against people?

The inquiry will not be a police force or prosecuting body, but could set up investigative units to prepare briefs of evidence for police. The Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, says this material could help police begin prosecutions sooner.

22 years ago, Thanks for posting that. My husband bought me an iPad and learning my way around it. Full stop.

All those who were involved with NTM (CrossView). Will you have to be on Australian soil to present your case or can you submit it from your location? Just wondering. Guess it has to be a sexual abuse which I kind of wish they would cover "all abuse" with these organisations but maybe those who did one did the other as well. Full stop.

My other thought is how many will be extradited? Most of the time Australia is a wonderful place for a holiday, maybe that will be the excuse the abusers will use when they get their command. Funny, not ha, ha funny, but I was on NTM training school grounds a few times. Couldn't even imagine what was really going on. The biggie was how clean they kept their tools and workshops, etc., etc., etc. Believe me you could bring the garden tools in the house and not realize they were used for gardening. Full stop.

This is about what organisations were up to, why they covered things up and how they came to have paedophiles in their midst. Many of the offenders will be dead and the organisations will be saying "look we've changed our policy and cleaned up our act, so let us go in peace". But as clearly indicated, this is a very big net and if an organisation has mess on their hands, providing the information is put before the inquiry, they will be looked into".
Changing the name to Crossview, Crosswind, Upwind, Downwind ain't going to unwind the past. The Catholic church is a worldwide organisation, their history of child abuse will be looked at in Australia, but my guess is that what has happened in the big international scene will also be considered because it will be the smoke that points to the fire. The Catholic church takes it's leadership from the Vatican and guess where Crossview has been taking its leadership from for decades?
And the U.S. govt will step in and say, "leave the Saints at Sanford alone, they are good christian folk just doing the Lords work". Oh I don't thinks so. The Australian govt is very good friends with the U.S. govt and they need to keep it that way. If the Australian Inquiry wants to know something and it crosses international boarders, they're very good friends will see to it that they get what they need. After all the U.S. govt doesn't like paedophiles either, right?

The "little brother" offshoots of NTM are not involved with children
ie: No boarding schools.
But they are not that old and can readily be traced back.

*gone to rattle some cages*

I am a bit disappointed, our Prime Minister has just called an election for 14 September, this will be the longest election campaign in Australian history. I am in fear this will cause the Royal Commission to "kind of" get put on the sidelines. She didn't actually want to even call a Royal Commission but was under pressure to do so. I hope I am wrong and things will go along nicely for it. Full stop.