The families of Australian child sex abuse victims who die while waiting for compensation should receive three-quarters of their redress payments as recommended by a Northern Ireland inquiry, a victims' advocate says.
Care Leavers Australasia Network CEO Leonie Sheedy says secondary victims should be entitled to compensation, despite Australia's child sex abuse royal commission rejecting the idea.
Ms Sheedy backed Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry's recommendation that where victims die before their redress claim has been dealt with, families should be entitled to 75 per cent of the compensation that would have been paid.
'That's what should be happening in Australia," Ms Sheedy told AAP.
"There are secondary victims from this abuse. They've been hurt and traumatised by living with people who have been abused in Australia's orphanages and they've suffered a different level of trauma."
Releasing the HIA Inquiry report in January, chairman Sir Anthony Hart said at least 12 people have died since giving evidence, and more may die before their claims have been dealt with by the inquiry's Redress Board.
He said it was just and humane that an abuse survivor's spouse or children be able to claim 75 per cent of the compensation that would have been awarded to the victim.
The Australian royal commission has excluded compensation for secondary victims, saying it did not recommend redress be provided to anyone who is not themselves a survivor of institutional child sexual abuse.
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