SA: SA Opposition calls for royal commission into abuse claims
ADELAIDE, Feb 12 AAP - Rumours of a high powered paedophile network operating in SouthAustralia should be the subject of a royal commission, the state opposition said today.
Opposition Leader Rob Kerin called for the royal commission to be established and alsoinvestigate allegations of children under government care being sexually abused.
He said he had heard allegations of children, mainly boys, being taken at night fromgovernment hostels by paedophiles.
The children were afraid to speak out, fearing for their personal safety and the threatof legal action against them, Mr Kerin said, without detailing who made the allegations.
A royal commission would give the alleged victims protection from any moves to preventthem telling the truth, he said.
"For too long now, South Australia has been riddled by rumours of a high powered paedophilering known as `the family'," Mr Kerin said in a statement.
"We need to get to the bottom of this and clear the air."
The family was a term coined by the media in the late 1970s to describe an unconfirmedgroup of Adelaide homosexuals and paedophiles rumoured to be involved in a series of murders.
Mr Kerin hoped a royal commission would be supported by all political parties and independentmembers of parliament.
"Not only do we need to look at comprehensive measures to combat child abuse, we alsoneed to investigate allegations of abuse in the past and ensure that justice is served,"
he said.
"A royal commission will be in the best interest of the victims and all South Australians."
AAP sl/ph/de
KEYWORD: ABUSE SA
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