Centering on St. Joseph’s, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Christine Kenneally shares the stories of survivors who have fought to expose the truth, and hold the powerful – many of them Catholic priests and nuns – to account. As these stories have come to light, the laws in Vermont have been forced to change. Including the statute of limitations on prosecuting them. Christine also exposes the international institutional abuse including those in Ireland and the UK. As well as in Australia institutions in rural Victoria, Western Australia and inner-city Sydney. Christine relates the heart-breaking stories of young children that are only now coming to public attention.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Christine Kenneally about where her investigation into the treatment of children in orphanages across the world began. Christine talks of the accounts of abuse and murder within these institutions that were once dismissed as mere stories. She also discusses the victims that have spoken up about the systemic abuse and the journalists that listened.