Hundreds of abuse survivors waiting on organisations to sign up to Redress

Vic Govt threatens funding cuts

More than 500 Victorian survivors of sexual abuse have been left in the lurch by institutions who have so far failed to sign up to the National Redress Scheme.

These organisations are now threatened with funding cuts.

According to the Victorian Government, there are 49 non-government organisations operating in Victoria who are still yet to sign up to the Scheme for which 6,077 applications had so far been received.

As a result, more than 500 of these applicants have been put on hold while they wait on the institution at which they had been abused to join the Scheme, no doubt exacerbating the suffering of survivors.

The Victorian Government has put these organisations on notice that if they fail to sign up to the National Redress Scheme by the deadline of 30 June 2020 that they could be in jeopardy of losing any state funding they receive.

The National Redress Scheme which was established on the recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is an avenue for survivors of such abuse to seek compensation. The Scheme is set to run for ten years and is voluntary, meaning that institutions must agree to participate.

In a recent press release the Victorian Attorney General, Jill Hennessy, made it clear that although it is left up to the institutions to agree to participate in the Scheme:

“[Her] expectation is that Victorian institutions who have not yet signed up to the scheme do so immediately” and that  “refusing to sign up is just not acceptable”.

In relation to the State’s threat to impose new sanctions on organisations that fail to join, Ms Hennessy stated:

“We know people are dying waiting for fair compensation for the horrific abuse and injustice they have faced – with these changes we are ensuring institutions are held accountable for failing in their moral duty to support and acknowledge their victims”.

Our Abuse Law team shares in this sentiment and we welcome the push from the State Government to make institutions accountable to those who suffered harm in their care and to act in a trauma informed way.

Survivors of abuse are welcome to contact our office on 1300 366 441 or by email at enquiries@rctlaw.com.au for a sensitive, confidential and free of charge discussion with a member of our Abuse Law team about what your legal options, including but not limited to Redress, may be.