Sex Abuse Victims Asked to Be Patient

By Genevieve Gannon
News.com.au
April 3, 2013

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/sex-abuse-victims-asked-to-be-patient/story-e6frfku9-1226611833252

ABUSE victims who have waited decades to tell their story have been asked to be patient as the royal commission into responses to child sex abuse begins the lengthy process of collecting information.

More than 5000 people are expected to approach the royal commission to share their experiences, commission chair Justice Peter McClellan said.

Counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness SC, said the volume of submissions meant it could take some time for staff to respond.

"While I understand that people may have been waiting years if not decades to tell their story, I ask each of you to be patient," Ms Furness said on Wednesday.

"It is important that individuals be heard, understood and their experiences taken into account in order that there are better outcomes for the future."

Victims will be given free legal and procedural advice to help them participate in the royal commission.

Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the service, provided by the National Association of Community Legal Centres, would help victims prepare a submission and give advice as to how they can participate in the hearings.

It will also advise on civil and criminal options, Mr Dreyfus said.

Ms Furness said people would be able to tell their stories in a number of ways.

From the first day of the hearing on Wednesday, trained staff will be available 12 hours a day to take calls from people who wish to come forward.

People can also write to the commission to indicate they wish to share their experience.

This will be done through a public hearing or in a private session.

The commission will travel around Australia to conduct private sessions in capital cities and regional areas, using, where possible, hotel or motel function rooms to provide less intimidating settings.

A private session is not a hearing of the royal commission and the information provided will not constitute evidence, but it will assist in the conduct of investigations, Ms Furness said.

A more formal hearing can be held in which the person swears that information provided in a private session is the truth.

Trained counsellors will be made available and people sharing experiences are encouraged to bring a support person with them.

Justice McClellan said because of the nature of the accounts the commission would receive it would not be possible for a commissioner to listen continuously to people's experiences.

"There are limits upon how many personal accounts a commissioner and staff can safely listen to in any one day," he said.

The royal commission will not impose any time limit on when people can contact it to indicate they have an experience to tell.