(UTV|COLOMBO) – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given a national apology to victims of child sexual abuse.
Hundreds of people gathered in Canberra on Monday to hear Mr. Morrison deliver the emotional address in Parliament.
It follows a five-year inquiry which found tens of thousands of children had suffered abuse in the nation’s institutions over decades.
“Today, we finally acknowledge and confront the lost screams of our children,” he said.
“We must be so humble to fall before those who were forsaken and beg to them our apology.”
The inquiry, which concluded last December, heard more than 8,000 testimonies from victims about abuse in organisations such as churches, schools and sports clubs.
With his voice trembling at times, Mr. Morrison acknowledged the suffering of victims and condemned institutional failures.
“Why were the cries of children and parents ignored? Why was our system of justice blind to injustice? Why has it taken so long to act?” he said.
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