Hi all, This first post contains background on the documentary Paul Coore: A very lucky man. The documentary was developed between September 2023 and May 2026, as a collaboration between Chis Eyre, his production team and myself as interview subject. The production also benefited from a Gofundme round and feedback from supporters
Why put my name in the documentary title?
I am happy to have my name on it as it is my individual experience as both a victim and survivor of sexual abuse that the documentary focuses on.
Why did this Royal Commission happen?
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a national response in Australia to allegations of sexual abuse of children in institutional contexts that had been emerging in Australia for many years. On 12 November 2012 the then Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP announced the decision to establish it, with the final report released in December 2017 A high level summary of my participation in the royal commission is reflected in each of the reports fast facts. See below;
Calls handled – 42,041 Letters & emails received – 5,964 Private sessions held – 8,013 Referrals to authorities (including police) 2,575
How are my interactions with the Royal Commission reflected in the documentary
Without the Royal Commission there would be no documentary;
- The documentary begins and ends with me reading from the letter I sent to the Royal Commission in 2013, which was about being abused while a ward of the state.
- Audio from my private session with a Royal Commissioner is included at two points in the documentary.
- I would not have had the confidence to make the contact with NSW Scouts and NSW Police I reference in the documentary without help from Royal Commission staff.
- Extracts from my state ward file appear several times in the documentary as it was during my time as a ward of the state that the abuse happened.
- Extracts from my application to the National Redress scheme also appear in the documentary, as the scheme was one of the outcomes of the Royal Commission. I will cover my involvement with the scheme in a separate post.
Mining the past, but not living in it. 