Newcastle solicitor says national agency needed to compensate child abuse victims

ABC News
August 4, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-04/newcastle-solicitor-says-national-agency-needed-to-compensate-c/5645076

Protestors outside the Royal Commission hearings in Sydney.

A Newcastle solicitor who has acted for hundreds of child abuse victims is recommending the establishment of a national agency to manage financial compensation, mostly funded by the Catholic Church.

In a submission to the child abuse Royal Commission, solicitor Peter Kelso says there is a need for a national approach to Redress Schemes.

He says current state schemes are ad-hoc with entitlements ranging from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands depending on whether a victim was abused in a church or state-run institution.

He says the taxpayer should not have to foot the bill either.

"It doesn't take Einstein to work out the Catholic Church is the captain of the team here," he said.

"Probably 70 to 80 percent of the abuse is their fault and so will be the ones who are the major contributors to the redress scheme."

Mr Kelso says legislation for the scheme should be drafted to spare victims from rigorous and invasive testing of evidence.

He says the importance of establishing a fair and equitable redress scheme cannot be underestimated.

Mr Kelso says apologies are important, but for many victims financial compensation sends a stronger message.

"One can say they're sorry, but words are easy.

"When a victim hears sorry but also receives a payment from the organisation which represents their abuser, it helps them to understand that the apology is heartfelt and genuine and that the conduct perpetrated against them by their abuser was disgraceful and should never have happened."