AUSTRALIA
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The Victorian State Parliamentary enquiry into child sexual abuse by clergy has presented its report, which contains 15 principal recommendations for the Victorian Government (see yesterday’s posting). Laws covering these recommendations are expected to be passed by the Parliament early next year.
While the bulk of the report reinforces the pre-existing perception that abuse was widespread, covered up and that victims were poorly treated, the focus for it has been the legislative changes required to do something about the problems. Any new laws will have to be carefully crafted to avoid loop-holes which the churches’ lawyers could exploit. It is probably, therefore, worthwhile, to commence an analysis of responses by stakeholders with members of the legal profession who are associated with the victims.
Melbourne lawyer, Angela Sdrinis, who acts on behalf of victims, said the legislative reforms and removal of the statute of limitations were very important. “Most historical abuse claimants face that defence that their claim is out of time,” she said. “The recommendations regarding ensuring that church entities can be sued in these cases of historical abuse is very important, but the recommendations regarding an alternative justice model are also very important.”
Ms Sdrinis said very few of the hundreds, if not thousands, of claims made against the Catholic Church had succeeded because of two “almost impregnable” legal defences. “The two important things for me as a lawyer representing people are the legislative reform and the abolition of the statute of limitations is obviously very important,” she said. Further, she hopes the government will act quickly to take on the recommendations, and not wait for the outcome of the federal royal commission into child sexual abuse
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