Governing Child Abuse Voices and Victimisation ─ The Use of Public Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Christian Institutions

This book is about the emergence of child sexual abuse (CSA) by personnel in Christian institutions (PICIs) as a social and political discourse. The analysis here specifically focuses on the establishment, conduct, and outcomes of the extensive public inquiries of Australia, although inquiries in other jurisdictions are also discussed. Unlike criminal or civil processes, although they may be inquisitory in nature, public inquiries emerge from a specifically political context and are a tool of governance embedded in a larger context of governmentality. Understanding the broader political and cultural contexts of public inquiries is important, then, in understanding their value and effectiveness as justice processes – especially for victims of CSA by PICIs. What is interesting about public inquiry is that it situates victims of CSA by PICIs outside of criminal and civil justice processes and recognises a different politicised relationship between victims as citizens, the state, and Christian Institutions where abuse has occurred. This book explores the dynamics of the emergence and politicisation of victims of CSA by PICI’s, their expressions of resistance and the legitimisation of their voice in public and political spheres.