AUSTRALIA
The Australian
JOHN FERGUSON and RACHEL BAXENDALE
From: The Australian
November 14, 2013
THE Napthine government will criminalise the grooming of child-sex victims and the concealing of abuse by officials after the first wide inquiry into the issue savaged the Catholic Church over systemic failures.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine also promised yesterday to exclude abuse from statute of limitations provisions to ensure victims have enough time to initiate civil legal action.
The Victorian parliament’s inquiry into the handling of abuse by religious and other non-government entities made a series of other recommendations yesterday, including the setting up of an independent, alternative avenue for justice for victims.
This would involve the government reviewing the functions of the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal to consider its capacity to administer a specific scheme for victims of criminal abuse.
The committee backed a new offence of child endangerment for anyone who relocates an offender — such as happened with some Catholic clergy — and offences for failing to report child abuse. This would fall under the government’s pledge to legislate against those who conceal sex-abuse crimes.
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