AUSTRALIA
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Annette Blackwell – AAP on May 11, 2016

The federal government has scrapped time limitations on child sex abuse claims against commonwealth entities such as the Australian Defence Force.

Attorney-General George Brandis has instructed federal agencies not to use a time-barred defence of child abuse claims or to oppose an application for an extension of a limitation period in such cases.

The direction issued last week mostly impacts on child abuse survivors who were just 15 years old when they suffered horrendous mistreatment in ADF cadet academies like the HMAS Leeuwin or HMAS Nerimba.

The federal decision has led to calls for institutions like the Salvation Army, the Catholic and Anglican churches as well as all states and territories to follow suit.