Children sent to Australia seek compensation

Many children were sent away from their families and all did not go to plan. Now these individuals are seeking compensation.

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A recent report found that up to thirty-thousand children from Britain and Malta, who were removed from unwed mothers or families that were not able to properly care for them. They were sent alone, to Australia as migrants. The large majority of these children were placed in foster homes, orphanages and other institutions where many were emotionally, physically and sexually abused.

What the Children had to Say

Former wards have accounted their experiences having been forced into slave labour, having been sodomized, starved and beaten during their years at the government run institutions. A large number of the British children sent to Australia between 1920 and 1970 in order to populate the colony with ‘good white stock’. The children were put on ships often without their parents even being notified. Many of the children believed they were orphans, even when there was nothing further from the truth.

The Apology

It is believed that the apology would help to address the terrible wrongs inflicted on what is now being called the “forgotten Australians” who were abused in the orphanages and other institutions that were supposed to be there to protect them. The apology that is to be delivered by Kevin Rudd, the prime minister is meant to ease the pain of the children and the government will be seeking opposition support to make it a bipartisan gesture. This is considered to be a very significant step nationally in the healing process of those damaged by the action.

How the Children were Treated

The children were moved in such vast numbers that they often lost individuality. Many never heard their names, they were only referred to as numbers. They were not cuddled, coddled or otherwise given any real affection; instead, these children were often used as a kind of free slave labour. They were also used as sexual subject, they were beaten and abused in a multitude of ways. Under the guise of being offered a better live, these children were transferred into a living hell.

Compensation Possibilities

So far, the Australian government has ruled out any possibility of compensation provided by the government itself. The government has said that the liability lays with the state governments and churches that actually ran the institutions that perpetrated the abuse. The British High Commissioner Valerie Amos has stated that her government has not yet addressed the question of compensation. Many individuals and institutions believe that both the British and the Australian governments are liable and should provide compensation.

Article Tags: Children Sent, Children Were

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