AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun
SAMANTHA LANDY HERALD SUN FEBRUARY 24, 2015
CHILD abuse victims in Victoria will be able to pursue legal action regardless of when the maltreatment occurred, with complex time limits to be abolished.
An advocacy group for child abuse survivors says the new law — to be introduced by the Andrews Government today — is a “good first step” towards providing greater access to justice for victims.
The government’s bill will remove the limitation period for child abuse claims both past and future, regardless of the time or context of the alleged abuse.
Adults Surviving Child Abuse president Cathy Kezelman said the limitation had been a major barrier for victims wanting to pursue legal action.
Dr Kezelman said the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse had found that it took victims an average of 22 years to disclose that they had been abused — a time frame that did not fit in with current time limitations.
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