Royal commission one year on MORE than 1000 victims of child sex abuse have given evidence to a royal commission during its first year of operation. Victims were mainly men, now aged between 50 and 69, and abuse occurred predominantly in children's homes, 70 per cent of which were run by religious groups, statistics from the commission show. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse chief Janette Dines said testimony from courageous victims had provided information that would usually be difficult to obtain. "For example, commissioners have heard in private sessions that sexual abuse is often accompanied by serious physical abuse, particularly when that abuse occurred decades ago," she said. Other similarities include a generally stated dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system and the anguish felt by many victims that despite attempts to disclose the abuse at the time it occurred, they were not believed. The commission was established on January 11, 2013. After staff were employed and venues secured in April, private hearings began in May. The first public hearing was in September in Brisbane and more than 80 witnesses have spoken. The commission expects to hold 21 weeks of public hearing this year and aims to provide 800 private sessions with four weeks to be held in regional areas. "The royal commission has achieved much in its first 12 months," Ms Dines said. But it is clear that it continues to face a huge task.