AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

August 12, 2014

Rachel Browne
Social Affairs Reporter

Advocates for survivors of child sex abuse have cautiously welcomed the Catholic Church’s proposed compensation scheme for victims of institutional abuse.

The Catholic Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council has called for a national redress scheme to be administered by the federal government but funded by the institutions responsible for the harm, in a recommendation to the royal commission into child sex abuse.

Its submission, lodged on Tuesday, also recommends that victims who have already received compensation be able to access the new scheme for an independent review of past settlements.

Care Leavers Australia Network executive officer Leonie Sheedy said many survivors had just received “breadcrumbs” to compensate them for the abuse they suffered, saying a fair redress scheme was well overdue.