Strong response on abuse redress schemes

There has been a strong response to calls for suggestions on how churches and institutions should run redress schemes for child sexual abuse victims.

Victims of child sexual abuse, institutions and support groups have made a record number of submissions expressing views on how compensation and redress schemes for victims should be structured.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse called for submissions on redress schemes, which operate separately to court proceedings and include programs such as the Catholic Church's Towards Healing.

The commission published 78 submissions - the highest number for any of the six issues papers released to date - expressing opinions about the effectiveness and fairness of redress schemes.

Redress scheme effectiveness compared with civil court claims, oversight of such schemes and whether a nationwide, government-run scheme should be established are among the issues canvassed.

Commission chief executive officer Philip Reed said there had been strong community interest in issues around compensation and redress.

"The Royal Commission is undertaking broad consultation and research on the effectiveness of redress schemes in the context of child sexual abuse in institutions, and expects to make recommendations by mid-2015," he said.

During past hearings the commission has heard that compensation schemes run by the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army required victims to sign a deed of release which meant they could not pursue a civil claim.

The submissions are available on the commission's website.

The commission will hold public hearings in Melbourne from Monday, August 18, looking at the responses of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne to abuse victims and allegations made against its personnel.


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