Child Sex Abuse Changes in Qld Parliament

By Jamie McKinnell
7 News
August 16, 2016

https://au.news.yahoo.com/qld/a/32344797/child-sex-abuse-changes-in-qld-parliament/#page1

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will personally introduce into parliament a bill to lift time restrictions on when survivors of institutional child sex abuse can sue the perpetrators.

Currently, survivors can only pursue civil action within three years of their 18th birthday, but lifting that statute of limitations was a key recommendation from the child sex abuse royal commission.

Ms Palaszczuk announced the plan at the beginning of August, saying the restraints had "effectively barred these victims from seeking justice".

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath also signalled the government would release an issues paper on whether the restrictions should be lifted for abuse outside institutions and other forms of abuse, such as physical and psychological.

The change will have bipartisan support from the Liberal National Party (LNP) opposition, however leader Tim Nicholls was eager to highlight that his party announced it as a policy two weeks before Labor.

Tuesday's sitting of parliament will also see the Palaszczuk government introduce reforms to strengthen the state's existing domestic violence laws.

Under the changes, domestic violence protection orders will be granted for five years rather than two, and information sharing about potential offenders across agencies such as police, health providers and parole bodies will be easier.

Police will also be able to put in place protection notices from when they first visit a premises where suspected abuse has taken place if they believe someone is under immediate threat.

Those notices will, for the first time, also cover children.