AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By social affairs correspondent Norman Hermant
Sexual abuse support groups say much more needs to be done to increase access for survivors to help under Medicare, although the Government says the psychological care needed by sexual abuse survivors is in place.
Counselling has been a welcome resource for Bob O’Toole.
It has been 60 years since he was sexually abused at Marist Brothers school in the Newcastle suburb of Hamilton, but even now it is never out of his mind.
“It does hang around … memories of difficult times will come back to you,” he said.
In recent years, Mr O’Toole finally started seeing a psychological counsellor — as he prepared for his appearance at the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“Going to counselling just keeps me on a level playing field, to be able to deal with my own issues. And also, I guess, debrief a bit,” he said.
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