SYDNEY -- A dirty little secret in Australian society has been exposed, and federal and state governments are maneuvering to clean up the mess or face international condemnation for allegedly allowing the violation of human rights.
Cruel cases of rape and murder reported in remote Aboriginal settlements have shocked the Australian public into demanding action. Sadly, it's nothing new. Abuses have been going on for years.
What is new is that, at long last, a Canberra government minister has taken up the cause of abused women and children living in remote areas of northern Australia. But only after demands for the army to be sent in to quell riots among drink-sodden Aboriginal men. A public outcry against "secret men's business" has grown too shrill for blame-dodging politicians to ignore.