AUSTRALIA
The Courier
By TOM MCILROY
Dec. 7, 2012
BALLARAT’S Centre Against Sexual Assault has seen a significant increase in reporting by victims since the establishment of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into clergy sexual abuse.
Senior counsellor Andrea Lockhart said Ballarat CASA had established special operating protocols to accommodate the increased reporting, which she said came as a result of media reports and community engagement.
“We have been prioritising victims of abuse who are making contact with us as a result of the Victorian inquiry, as it can be very difficult for those people to wait after they have made the first contact,” she said.
“Those people are seen almost immediately because we are aware of the sensitivity of this issue in the Ballarat region. We offer them the opportunity to talking about their experiences at their own pace, and allow them to remain in control of that process.”
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