Push to End Legal Agony of Abuse

By Kate McKenna
The Courier-Mail
May 9, 2016

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/push-to-end-legal-agony-of-abuse/news-story/ff85fcca2d8c6d3451520686ee8b9bd5

THE Palaszczuk Government is considering falling into line with other states and eliminating a “demoralising” time limit preventing child sex abuse survivors from pursuing civil claims.

Communities and Child Safety Minister Shannon ­Fentiman will tonight host an open forum at Parliament House about the limitations, which, under Queensland law, require survivors to lodge a civil claim against institutions by the age of 21.

Both NSW and Victoria have passed reform legislation, while Western Australia has introduced a Bill.

Last year, the royal commission into child sex abuse said many survivors, advocacy groups and academics had labelled time limits a major — “sometimes insurmountable” — barrier to bringing legal action and the commission recommended that governments get rid of them retrospectively.

Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts said the State Government was consulting on the issue and he hoped it would heed the push to “open their hearts and courts” to victims.

Mr Potts said denying victims the right to compensation due to the time restriction was “heartless”.