AUSTRALIA
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
October 27, 2017
By Clare Blumer
The Australian Catholic Church estimates it will be liable for $1 billion in compensation to child sexual abuse victims as part of the new national redress scheme, but this comes with a really big ‘but’.
The Federal Government today tabled a bill for a national redress scheme for child sexual abuse victims.
Under the bill, people who were sexually abused while in Commonwealth and territory institutions will be entitled to compensation of up to $150,000.
But that is only a tiny minority of the victims, as the majority suffered abuse in state government or non-government and church institutions.
So an estimated 60,000 victims subjected to sexual abuse as children would not be eligible, unless the state and territory governments sign up.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Unless everyone signs on, the victims would be able to apply for further compensation in state and territory courts.
That means that non-government institutions, particularly the churches, would not join the scheme because they would still be open to being sued in multiple jurisdictions.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter said as much in his introduction of the bill today.
“Accepting the offer of redress has the effect of releasing the participating institutions from any further liability … this means the survivor … will undertake not to bring or continue any civil claim against the responsible participating institution in relation to the specific abuse,” he said.
He repeatedly urged the states and territories to sign on in his address.
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