On 28 April, the Australian Government announced that all state and territory governments, institutions named in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse or in an application received by the National Redress Scheme (NRS) must provide a clear written statement setting out their intention to join the NRS by no later than 30 June 2020. These institutions will be expected to join the NRS as soon as possible, but no later than 31 December 2020.
Category Archives: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Australia)
Australian Redress update – participating institutions have doubled
The number of institutions participating in the Australian National Redress Scheme (NRS) has more than doubled as more institutions have completed the necessary steps to join the NRS.
As at 6 February 2020, 162 non-government institutions are now participating in the NRS – up from 67 last year, in addition to the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
Australian High Court to deliver final appeal judgment in the Cardinal Pell appeal on 7 April 2020
On 12 March the High Court in Australia deferred ruling on an appeal to overturn the conviction of former Vatican treasurer George Pell for sexually assaulting two teenage choirboys in the 1990s for which he was sentenced to a six year jail term.
After two days of legal arguments, the High Court of Australia said it was still considering whether to allow the appeal.
A change in the law can have a big impact
Whilst the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England & Wales focuses its attention on reviewing legal processes available to deliver reparation to victims and survivors of abuse, and in particular to consider whether the law (such as the statute of Limitations) should be changed, we can see the impact a change in the law can have in other jurisdictions.
Australia: A new Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
On 5 April 2019 the Australian Prime Minister announced the establishment of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The Commission has been established as there is significant body of evidence that people with disability are more likely to experience violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation than people without disability. For those of us working in this area of the law there is little doubt that this is indeed the case.
Cardinal Pell’s appeal fails as convictions for child sex abuse are upheld
The Victoria Court of Appeal yesterday rejected the appeal by Cardinal Pell against his convictions for sexual abuse against two boys in Melbourne in the 1990s.
Pell was sentenced to six years in prison in March 2019 on foot of these convictions. He has and continues to maintain his innocence.
Update on Redress in Australia
As readers of our blog will be aware the Australian National Redress Scheme opened for applications on the 1 July, 2018 and it will remain open for 10 years.
When the Government committed to establishing the National Redress Scheme (NRS) it was expected that there would be 60,000 to 65,000 applicants and that the redress payments and associated benefits would cost somewhere in the region of AUS$4.38 billion.
Australia – more institutions join but redress is slow
The latest update from the National Redress Scheme (NRS) in Australia which was published last week advises that on 18 April 2019, the following institutions joined the Scheme:
- Benedictine Community of New Norcia
- Child and Family Services Ballarat (CAFS)
- Scouts Tasmania
- Yeshivah-Beth Rivkah Schools
The fifth group of Anglican organisations have also joined, represented by Anglican Representative Limited. They are:
- Anglican Diocese of Armidale
- Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn
- Anglican Diocese of Wangaratta
- Anglicare North Queensland
- Anglicare Victoria
IICSA announces a new investigation
A significant focus of the Royal Commission (RC) in Australia in the national inquiry in connection with child abuse was religious organisations. Given the results of the RC and of other similar inquiries, it is not surprising that IICSA has announced an investigation looking at child abuse and religion, this being in addition to the two current investigations into abuse in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.
The challenges of Redress
The provision of financial redress for victims and survivors of abuse is never easy and there is no system which is satisfactory to all. In a series of blogs to be published this week, we consider the latest schemes and update on how they are progressing.
A rally for survivors and their supporters took place in Melbourne on Sunday the 31 March 2019, amid calls for the National Redress Scheme (the scheme) to be changed.
