Royal Commission: Support workers pay tribute to 'remarkable' abuse survivors

By Miki Perkins
Sydney Morning Herald
December 14, 2017

http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/royal-commission-support-workers-pay-tribute-to-remarkable-abuse-survivors-20171213-h03zjn.html

To be heard, to be listened to, and to be believed.

That's what survivors of sexual abuse deserve, say the lawyers and social workers who have supported thousands of people who shared their tragic stories with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, to be handed down on Friday.

To be heard, to be listened to, and to be believed.

That's what survivors of sexual abuse deserve, say the lawyers and social workers who have supported thousands of people who shared their tragic stories with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, to be handed down on Friday.

Megan Ross is the managing lawyer at Knowmore, an independent legal service set up when the commission was established to give free advice to people who might want to tell their stories.

As well as uncovering the horrific extent of child sexual abuse, and devising reforms, the commission has offered a forum where survivors feel heard and believed, Ms Ross says. 

"It has been a real privilege to be part of a process like this, where people feel empowered and have a sense of validation. It's palpable," she says.

Since July 2013, more than 8000 clients have come through Knowmore's doors. About 23 per cent of them have been Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. About 20 per cent have been to prison.

Ms Ross and her colleagues, including social worker Anne McLoughlin​, have helped survivors provide a written statement to the commission or seek a one-on-one session with a commissioner.

They have accompanied trembling, vulnerable survivors to hearings, produced legal documents and listened to heartrending evidence  that plumbs the depths of cruelty and intergenerational trauma.

Ms McLoughlin talked with many people who felt deep grief at how the sexual abuse had affected their lives and limited their potential. 

"They are very articulate and intelligent, and fully aware of what they missed and what they could have been capable of," she says.

At times it has been relentless. Staff at Knowmore have been given monthly debriefing support, and encouraged to have regular counselling sessions to guard against vicarious trauma, says Prue Gregory, the principal lawyer. ​

The most difficult realisation has been that some survivors – no matter what outcome they receive – are irreparably damaged. "Nothing will take the pain away from them," Ms Ross says.

Ms Ross and Ms McLoughlin paid tribute to their clients, some who had gone on to become foster carers, counsellors, or youth workers, with a strong motivation to nurture and protect children. 

"The fact that they are able to trust us with their stories is in itself an act of remarkable resilience, which we are privileged to work with," says Ms McLoughlin. 

By the time of its final hearing in April this year, the royal commission had heard from more than 1300 witnesses over 400 days of public hearings into institutions ranging from schools, to sporting clubs to churches. There have been more than 8000 private sessions. 

The report, to be handed to Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove on Friday, is rumoured to stand more than a metre-and-a-half high.

Funding for the Knowmore legal service has been extended, and staff will be able to assist survivors with claims for compensation or redress. 

Compensation covers the loss a person has experienced at the hands of an institution. It is a state-based claim that requires a standard of proof called "balance of probabilities". This can be challenging with historic sexual abuse, where there are usually no witnesses. 

Redress is also a payment but the standard of proof – called "reasonable likelihood" – is lower. It has a cap of $150,000. 

The Commonwealth has created a redress scheme but states and institutions need to "opt in". At the time of writing, none had done so, although some institutions have indicated they will. 

Nationally there are up to 60,000 survivors who could make a claim, but right now only 3000 are eligible for the Commonwealth scheme, says Ms Gregory. 

A national scheme is crucial to ensure equal access and treatment, she says, citing the example of an elderly man who had been abused in a wealthy Catholic school in Sydney, and was compensated hundreds of thousands of dollars. At same time, an Aboriginal woman with an equivalent level of abuse at a mission in Western Australia was getting only $5000. 

Christian Porter, the Minister for Social Services, said now that the scheme's legislation had been introduced into parliament, he was hopeful that states, territories and institutions would join in the near future. 

In a statement, Victorian Attorney General Martin Pakula said Victoria had indicated its "in principle" support for a national redress scheme in 2015. It is currently "working through that detail" before making a decision about whether to opt in or pursue a state-based scheme, he said.