AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
December 14, 2014
Adam Morton
Sex abuse victims would have access to a reparation scheme with the power to award cash support and direct that the abuser be removed from their job – while still leaving open the possibility of the victim taking legal action – under a new proposal by the Anglican Church.
As the Anglican proposal is examined by victims and religious groups, the new Victorian government has launched a review into whether its existing Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal could be expanded to run a scheme for abuse victims.
Consideration of a state-based victims’ redress scheme comes as the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sex Abuse – which has heard the stories of 2724 abuse survivors, with at least another 1400 still to give evidence – works on a national model. A discussion paper is due next month and final recommendations mid-year.
The previous Coalition state government accepted in principal a recommendation by the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into sex abuse that the victims’ of crime tribunal run a scheme for sex abuse survivors, and former attorney-general Robert Clark quietly sought submissions on how a scheme would work before last month’s election.
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