Survivors flee hearing in tears Les Johnson, 72, from Sydney, who grew up in orphanages in the Newcastle and Gosford area in the 1950s is pictured among protesters outside the Royal Commission. Let the little children come to me; do not stop them: for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. With this remark, the Catholic Church's barrister, Peter Gray SC, had the hearing room at the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse erupting in anguish and anger. They cried out "What an insult!," "What a joke!" and "Good Lord!" Some walked out. From outside the room sobbing and wailing could be heard. Many present were once little children, now damaged adults, thanks to their abuse at the hands of brothers and priests who were supposed to be caring for them in Catholic schools and orphanages. They had come to see for themselves what Mr Gray, representing the church, described as a watershed in church and Australian history. Eyvette Parr comforts survivor of abuse Trish Charter (right), who was at St Joseph's orphanage in Goulburn, outside the Royal Commission. In the Catholic church's first appearances at the Commission, Mr Gray acknowledged children were abused, the crimes were covered up, the wrongdoers were protected and the victims were disbelieved or treated coldly. He used words like "indefensible," "disgraceful," "deeply ashamed" and "terrible wrongs." He promised the church would co-operate fully with the Commission and "ensure that nothing is concealed or covered up in respect of what church personnel did or failed to do." But the survivors have heard it all before - and many did not live to hear it. Trish Charter was one of those who cried out and left the room. Outside the hearing she said she was abused between the ages of 4 and 8 and had her teeth pulled out at a Goulburn orphanage run by the Sisters of Mercy. Her sister Kathleen died of heart failure aged 39 in the 1970s after a series of mental breakdowns. "I am here representing her and all the little children , some of them didn't even reach their teens because they were so damaged," and many turned to drugs and crime. "It was not our fault," said Ms Charter, now in her 70s. The Royal Commission's fourth case study which commenced Monday will examine the Towards Hearing process set up by the church to deal with abuse victims" claims from 1997. At the hearing the church has acknowledged Towards Healing has operated inconsistently, been overly legalistic and "on one view" insufficiently transparent and accountable. Victims have stated outside the hearing it has added to their trauma rather than eased it. According to incomplete church data, 1700 people had participated in Towards Healing by September 2013, and have been paid a total of $43 million by church authorities. The highest known payment made was $850,000. Three-quarters of the complaints related to alleged child sexual abuse from 1950 to 1980, with 60 per cent occurring in schools or orphanages. The Christian Brothers had the most complaints of any Catholic order, followed by the Marist Brothers and the De La Salle Brothers. Four individual cases are to be examined. The first, Joan Isaacs, told the Commission was abused aged 14 and 15 in a "cult like group" created by Father Francis Derriman from 1967 to 1968. He played on her emotions by "pretending (to be) so sick as to be in danger or imminent expiration," the Commission heard. She said he told her he was dying of a lung disease and she could have sex with him when she turned 16. "I was terrified of turning 16 to the point of suicide," she said. He was convicted of two counts of indecent assault against her in 1998 and sentenced to one years jail, to be suspended after serving four months. After the conviction Mrs Isaacs wanted an apology for the church's inaction after being notified of the abuse, as well as counselling and compensation through Towards Healing. The church told her to bring a lawyer to her "Towards Hearing" facilitation meeting, but that she could only bring one person, which meant her husband could not attend. She wanted a Bishop to attend but a vicar who had no authority to offer compensation was sent instead. In the end she got $30,000. She bought a sewing machine and some shares with what was left after her legal and health expenses. Gail Furness senior counsel assisting the commission said this would be the first of ongoing inquiries into Towards Healing, and invited others who had experience of Towards Healing to contact the Commission. smh.com.au/royalcommission