Factbox: Terms of Reference for Child Abuse Royal Commission

SBS
January 11, 2013

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1726136/Factbox-Terms-of-reference-for-child-abuse-royal-c

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced the terms of the Royal Commission into institutional child abuse, with plans for a legislative change to allow for more evidence to be submitted. Here are the details of the Commission.

Six commissioners will examine past and current child sexual abuse in organisations. They will look at:

* how organisations have managed and responded to claims of sexual abuse and other associated forms of abuse and neglect

* whether the response was enough

* what can be done better protect children under their care

* what should be done to identify child sexual abuse and encourage people to report it

* how organisations should respond when they find out information that suggests that sexual abuse of children under their responsibility

* barriers and failures to reporting, investigating and dealing with cases of child sexual abuse in organisations

* how these barriers can be removed

* how to support survivors

* how to ensure victims receive justice



SCOPE

* Commissioners can look at any public or private organisation that is or has been involved with children

* Commission will hear from people affected by child sexual abuse

* Also will look at archives, records and documents, submissions from public, non-government and private organisations, and laws, policies and practices of institutions, organisations and governments



TIMING

* inquiry to start as soon as possible

* interim report by June 30, 2014

* royal commission set to end in 2015 but this could be extended

COMMISIONERS

1 - Justice Peter McClellan: Chief Judge at Common Law of the NSW

Supreme Court.

2 - Bob Atkinson: Former Queensland police commissioner.

3 - Justice Jennifer Coate: Family Court judge, former Victorian coroner and first Victorian Children's Court president.

4- Robert Fitzgerald: Productivity Commission commissioner, former NSW deputy ombudsman.

5 - Professor Helen Milroy: academic and consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist.

6 - Andrew Murray: Former Australian Democrats senator, patron of the Care Leavers Association and Alliance for Forgotten Australians.