THOUSANDS of child migrants who were sent to a life of misery and abuse in Britain s colonies have received a public apology from the Prime Minister of Australia. PM Kevin Rudd said he was deeply sorry to the victims of horrendous abuses carried out on

THOUSANDS of child migrants who were sent to a life of misery and abuse in Britain's colonies have received a public apology from the Prime Minister of Australia.

PM Kevin Rudd said he was 'deeply sorry' to the victims of horrendous abuses carried out on a forgotten generation of children who were placed in state care, often unbeknownst to their grieving families.

As reported in the Ely Standard recently Mepal resident Monica Crane was one of the thousands of children who suffered horrific abuse after being were sent away to Australia.

Though Mrs Crane was unable to make it to Australia to hear Mr Rudd's apology, a delegation of more than 1000 former child migrants attended a special ceremony at the Australian Parliament,

"We are sorry," said Mr Rudd, "Sorry for the tragedy - the absolute tragedy - of childhoods lost."

"Sorry that as children you were taken from your families and placed in institutions where so often you were abused. Sorry for the physical suffering, the emotional starvation and the cold absence of love, of tenderness, of care."

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is also expected to make a formal apology to the thousands of children sent from Britain's shores in the New Year.