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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has issued a national apology to victims of child sexual abuse.
Hundreds of people gathered Monday in Canberra to hear Mr. Morrison's moving speech to Parliament.
It follows a five-year investigation that found that tens of thousands of children had been abused in the country's institutions for decades.
"Today, we recognize and fight the lost cries of our children," he said.
"We must be so humble to fall in front of those who have been abandoned and ask them to apologize."
The survey, which was completed last December, has collected more than 8,000 testimonials from victims of abuse committed in organizations such as churches, schools and sports clubs.
With a sometimes trembling voice, Mr. Morrison recognized the suffering of the victims and condemned the institutional failures.
"Why were the cries of children and parents ignored, why was our justice system blind to injustice, and why did it take so long to act?" he said.
"Bad, dark crimes" – extract excuses from Prime Minister
As one survivor recently stated, "It was not a foreign enemy who did this to us. That's what Australians have done to Australians, enemies among us, enemies among us. "
The enemies of innocence.
It was happening day after day, week after week, month after month, decade after decade, incessant torment.
When a child spoke, it was not believed and the crimes continued with impunity.
One survivor told me that when he had informed a teacher about his abuses, this teacher had become his next aggressor: broken trust, betrayed innocence, power and position exploited for evil and obscure crimes.
Copyright of the image
EPA
Members of the public watch apologies in parliamentary forum
Opposition leader Bill Shorten told Parliament: "Some wrongs can not be corrected, but know that today, Australia is apologizing."
The parliament rose for a minute of silence after the speeches of the two leaders.
The work is not over, say the survivors
Support groups said the victims and their supporters traveled from across the country to hear the apology in Canberra.
"They come with a very heavy heart," said Leonie Sheedy, Executive Director of Care Leavers Australasia Network.
"It's a wonderful thing that our country apologizes, but there is still a lot of work to be done."
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EPA
A sculpture recognizing victims of abuse in the Australian Parliament on Monday
A survivor told the BBC: "For me, it has comforted me to hear [the apology]. At least we lived long enough to hear it. "
Many survivors have criticized the government's response to the investigation, particularly its terms for a national compensation system.
Victims can request payments up to a maximum of A $ 150,000 (£ 80,000).
Mr Morrison said the government had accepted most of the recommendations of the survey, but that he was still considering the remaining proposals.
He is committed to creating a national museum of remembrance to commemorate the stories of the victims.
Many are not alive to hear excuses
Hywel Griffith, BBC News in Canberra
In the depths of symbolism, decades have long passed – the word "sorry" can mean so much and change so little.
For many, excuses recognize their suffering, their suffering and their anger. But inevitably, for the thousands of other people who have died – many by suicide – all this has happened too late.
Many of the people in Canberra tell me that the real test of the government's sincerity will be how it responds to the remaining recommendations.
Although the excuses have real weight, many survivors want more action.
What did the survey find?
In their final report, the commissioners said: "There are not a few" bad apples. "The main institutions of the society have failed badly."
They said more than 15,000 people had made contact with the investigation, raising allegations against more than 4,000 institutions.
Religious ministers and teachers were the most frequently cited authors. The greatest number were in Catholic institutions.
All states and territories, as well as many institutions, have since joined the federal government-led compensation system.
In August, the Catholic Church officially rejected one of the survey's recommendations that priests should be forced to report sexual assault revealed during the confession. He joined the repair mechanism.
