Justice for Sex Abuse Victims

By Bruce Mcdougall
Daily Telegraph
May 14, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/justice-for-sex-abuse-victims/story-fni0cx4q-1226642534849

Counsel assisting the Royal Commission Gail Furness speaks during the first day of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Melbourne. Picture: AFP/Les O'Rourke Source: AFP

THE landmark royal commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse will cost taxpayers more than $434 million over the next four years.

Funding earmarked in the Federal Budget this year includes $45 million to provide expert services to support the survivors of child sexual abuse, Treasurer Wayne Swan said last night.

The commission has begun investigating the responses of large institutions such as the Catholic Church to allegations and incidents of child sexual abuse and how children can be better protected in the future.

But Mr Swan said even more money may be needed because the number of complaints and the number and location of hearings was still unknown.

"We have provided the royal commission ... with the resources required to go about its important work and ensure survivors have the support they need," he said.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said $62.4 million would be allocated over three years to ensure those engaging with the royal commission had access to legal advice and representation.

"Providing access to justice to all members of society is essential to strengthening Australia as an egalitarian democracy living under the rule of law," he said.

Mr Dreyfus said the government would also boost funding for legal aid commissions by $30 million.

"Legal aid commissions play a vital role in providing access to justice for Australians in need," he said. "The additional funding of $10.3 million for community legal centres will enable the employment of more staff for frontline service delivery to disadvantaged Australians in areas such as family law and mortgage stress."

The Budget also includes $150 million to target gang violence, organised crime and the illegal firearms market including:

$64.1 million for a national anti-gang taskforce to fight gang-related crime across Australia;

$40.9 million to target crime hotspots;

$30.2 million to form a national border targeting centre to scan high risk international passengers and cargo; and

$9.1 million to establish an Australian ballistics identification network to analyse firearms seized from criminals.

Taskforce Polaris, formed in Sydney in 2010 to investigate organised crime on the waterfront, will receive an extra $5.6 million and expand to Melbourne and Brisbane.

The national anti-gang taskforce will have 70 officers from federal and state police forces as well as the Australian Crime Commission, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Immigration, the Taxation Office and Centrelink.