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	Woman in Sex Abuse Scandal Still Awaiting Compo ABC [Australia] June 2, 2006 http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200606/1653644.htm?riverina A Wagga woman who was the victim in a sexual abuse scandal that led to the resignation of former governor-general Peter Hollingworth three years ago still has not received compensation. Beth Heinrich from southern New South Wales says the offer on the table means she will still rely on the Government and will become a pensioner. Ms Heinrich is unhappy with the $100,000 offer compared to recent settlements involving other Anglican dioceses. "Four million [dollars] being found in the Adelaide diocese by selling some property and they were going to pay the victims amounts of money from $75,000 up to $200,000 because they'd got this money from selling church property," she said. Ms Heinrich has also welcomed a planned crackdown on outrageous legal fees. She disputes the bill she has received for legal services in trying to secure compensation from the Anglican Church. She says the bill is a fifth of the cash settlement offered, including almost $300 for two ABC Riverina News interviews with her solicitor. The Legal Services Commissioner has dismissed Ms Heinrich's complaint and her former solicitor Bill Madden says it is not correct to say the cash settlement is affected by the legal costs. Ms Heinrich says she is hoping a State Government plan to stop unfair billing practises will help her. "With this new ideas of dealing with lawyers and their exorbitant costs, I didn't know the lawyer was going to charge me anything until about two days before the mediation when I got a bill through Slater and Gordon from the barrister for I think it was $6,000 or $7,000, who I had spoken to on two occasions," she said. Mr Madden says information about fees was acknowledged in writing two years before the mediation. He says he is disappointed Ms Heinrich feels she has been badly treated, but says the law firm and the barrister are yet to be paid for their work. Ms Heinrich says in any case, the proposed settlement will not really change her circumstances. "People that I don't even consider friends seem to think my life's fine now financially wise, which it's not," she said. "The amount of money that I've been offered and which I'm hoping to get will not make any difference to me being completely dependant on the Australian Government, that is a full pensioner."
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