Australia PM Rudd Apologizes to 500 000 Abused Childern

Rudd said he was "deeply sorry" for the pain caused to the children and their extended families. Photo by BGNES

Australian PM Kevin Rudd has apologised to the hundreds of thousands of people, some British migrants, who were abused or neglected in state care as children.

Rudd said he was "deeply sorry" for the pain caused to the children and their extended families.

He said he hoped the national apology would help to "heal the pain" and be a turning point in Australian history.

Some 500 000 "forgotten Australians" were abused or neglected in orphanages and children's homes from 1930 to 1970.

The Canberra ceremony was attended by hundreds of people forced to migrate to Australia when young, some 7 000 of whom still live in Australia.

Some wept openly and held each other as Rudd shared stories of survivors he had spoken with - children who were beaten with belt buckles or sexually violated.

Kevin Rudd also offered an apology to child migrants taken from the UK to Australia after the war, often without their parents' consent.

On Sunday, the UK government said the British prime minister would apologise for the forced migration policy next year.

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