Royal Commission into child sexual abuse: children in care denied access to their own files

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

June 29, 2015

Paul Bibby
Court Reporter

Young people who spend their childhoods in Out of Home Care are finding it virtually impossible to access their own case files because the process is choked in red tape, the Royal Commission has heard.

As the Commission continued its examination of institutional child sexual abuse on Monday, four youths who grew up in care described the instability, under-resourcing and lack of ongoing support which continue to characterise the system.

The youths, who now advocate for others in care, said that many wanted to access their case files but gave up because of the impenetrable bureaucracy such requests involved.

“I decided not to do it because it was going to be a nightmare,” Kate Finn from the Youth Movement Initiative said.

“I’ve been told that I need to have permission from anyone who can possibly be mentioned in there who is over the age of 18,” she said.

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