Royal Commission Proposal on Victim Compensation to Be Handed down Next Year

SBS
August 16, 2014

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/08/16/royal-commission-proposal-victim-compensation-be-handed-down-next-year

The royal commission into child sexual abuse says it make final proposals on reparations for victims in June of next year.

The national inquiry into child sexual abuse in institutions plans to make final recommendations on compensation for victims by June of next year.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in its interim report published two months ago said it would need another $104 million and a two-year extension on its December 2015 deadline to produce its final report.

It promised, however, to make earlier recommendations on redress and civil litigation for thousands of victims of abuse, many of whom are elderly.

On Friday, the royal commission's chief executive, Philip Reed, said June 30, 2015 was the target date for those recommendations.

"In order to achieve this shortened time frame, we are adopting an intensive consultation process involving both broad public consultation and targeted private consultation," he said.

As part of that process, private roundtables will be held with victim support groups, government representatives, lawyers and insurers, legal academics, faith-based organisations and community service organisations.

The first, presided over by commissioner Robert Fitzgerald, will be held on September 1, Mr Reed said.

"We will also be holding public roundtables on these issues later this year, and we will consult publicly on draft proposed recommendations before they are finalised," he said.

The public consultation process has already included three issues papers on civil litigation, redress schemes, and statutory victims of crime compensation schemes.

While the roundtables are not open to the public or the media, the commission plans to consult publicly on proposed recommendations before they are finalised, Mr Reed said.

Earlier this month, the royal commission published 81 submissions in response to its issues paper on redress schemes - a record response.

Among those submissions was one from the Catholic Church's Truth Justice and Healing Council, which backed a national scheme run by the government with mandatory participation by the institutions concerned.

Leonie Sheedy, co-founder of Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN), told AAP on Saturday she welcomed the commission's move to make its recommendations on redress by June next year.

CLAN, one of the main victim support groups, has been lobbying for the early implementation of a redress scheme.

On Saturday, Ms Sheedy said while the news of a deadline was pleasing, "I still wonder why we have to wait for recommendations before the institutions, church and others contribute to a scheme."

CLAN argues that a scheme implemented now could be rolled into a permanent one later.

Ms Sheedy said the organisation feared that waiting even another year for recommendations would be too late for many, especially as it will take considerable time to implement any of the recommendations.

The redress submissions can be viewed online at www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au under issue papers.