A WOMAN who alleges she was a child victim of the paedophile ring named by Liberal senator Bill Heffernan said she had repeatedly reported the abuse to authorities but no action had been taken.
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Speaking outside the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Fiona Barnett called on the authorities to investigate the alleged ring, which she believes is still operating.
Ms Barnett alleged the ring involved hundreds of perpetrators, including a political elite, such as a former governor-general and a former education minister, but she did not name them.
"Throughout my childhood I was a victim of Australia's VIP child sex trafficking ring," she said.
"The people involved in this elite paedophile ring included high-ranking politicians, police and judiciary."
Ms Barnett, 45, said she had reported her abuse to health care professionals, the NSW and Australian Federal Police and the royal commission but felt her claims were not taken seriously.
"The way I have been treated for reporting the crimes I witnessed and experienced has been far worse than my original abuse experiences," she said.
Ms Barnett was critical of the scope of the royal commission, which examines the responses of institutions such as religious groups and schools to allegations of child sexual abuse.
"I want all of the claims pooled and I want them investigated," she said. "I don't think the royal commission seems to be equipped to do that, do you? Amongst victims, we think this is just a complete whitewash."
Child sex abuse advocacy group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Australia (SNAP), says it has heard from several other alleged victims who say they have witnessed similar offences of rape, torture and murder perpetrated by the most senior people in Australia. "We're not talking about an isolated incident and an isolated survivor.
"It's a pattern, it's widespread and it's continuing today," SNAP leader Nicky Davis said.
She claimed many survivors had spoken and given evidence to police and the abuse royal commission but were mostly ignored.
The group has urged the federal government to launch an investigation into the elite paedophile network.
Ms Barnett said she was "five turning six" at the time of the alleged incidents at Parliament House.
The allegations come after Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan told a parliamentary inquiry he had a list of 28 prominent paedophiles, which allegedly included a former prime minister and members of the judiciary. Speaking under the protection of parliamentary privilege in a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, Senator Heffernan claimed the list was uncovered during the Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Force.
Senator Heffernan didn't name any names but called on Attorney-General George Brandis to expand the child abuse royal commission so that it includes the legal fraternity.
Mr Brandis said just because someone's name appeared on a list didn't make them guilty. with AAP
