Child sex abuse within the entertainment industry is set to be exposed with the royal commission calling on former child stars and other industry workers to come forward with information.
Advertisements will be run in industry publications and Sydney and Melbourne newspapers and a call-out has been issued on Monday, asking for people with information about child sex abuse in institutions including television networks, production companies, casting agencies and dance schools.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse was established in November 2012 with the mandate of investigating how religious and state-run institutions responded to allegations of abuse.
The focus on the entertainment industry is an unusual move from the commission's previous inquiries into church organisations, schools, community groups, sporting bodies and charity organisations.
"Institutions within the royal commission's scope may include television networks, film and television production companies, theatrical production companies, dance, drama and performing arts schools or colleges, casting agencies or any other company, agency or organisation, public or private involved in the entertainment industry," said the royal commission's chief executive Philip Reed.
"Anyone thinking of coming forward should rest assured that the confidentiality of their information will be protected," Mr Reed said.
Recent high-profile court cases have uncovered repeated child sex abuse and indecent assault on television shows such as Hey Dad! by paedophile actor Robert Hughes and by prominent entertainer Rolf Harris, whose taunting of victims with a song written from his cell prompted calls for the paedophile to spend longer time in jail from lawyers of his victims.
Overseas, the revelations of decades of abuse by TV star Jimmy Saville have prompted British police to investigate allegations of historical child sex abuse by more than 1400 people, including 261 people of "public prominence".
Anyone with information on the Australian entertainment industry can contact the royal commission on 1800 099 340 or solicitor@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au or by post at GPO Box 5283, Sydney NSW 2001.
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