Top cop says child abuse eating away at society

[link to www.abc.net.au]

Top cop says child abuse eating away at society

By Simon Santow

Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec says statistics about child sex abuse show an "ugly truth". (ABC News)

Audio: NSW top cop labels Child sex abuse a 'monster' problem (AM) Related Story: Calls for reform in child protection service Related Story: Pope issues new guidelines on child abuse.

The New South Wales police commissioner has described child sex abuse as a "monster" eating away at modern society and vowed to make a personal crusade against the issue.

Andrew Scipione says the number of people reporting abuse is rising, particularly the abuse that happens in the family home.

Sex Crimes Unit commander Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec says last year there were more than 6,000 reported sexual assaults in New South Wales.

He says statistics about child sex abuse show an "ugly truth".

"Almost 55 per cent of those were children aged 15 or under. Most disturbingly is that 90 per cent of those cases [was] by someone they knew, and in some of the cases it was by either their father or step-father," he said.