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Tasmania joins national redress scheme

Tasmania has signed up to a national redress scheme for survivors of institutionalised child sexual abuse.

Elise Archer
Attorney-General Elise Archer has announced Tasmania will join the national abuse redress scheme. (AAP)

Tasmania has become the sixth state or territory to commit to the national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse, leaving South Australia and Western Australia lagging.

"Whilst we can never undo the suffering experienced by so many, Tasmania's involvement in this scheme acknowledges the wrongs done to Tasmanian survivors," attorney-general Elise Archer told parliament on Tuesday.

"(This) is a significant step towards organisations taking responsibility for the sexual abuse that happened to children for which they had a duty of care."

Tasmania's government has allocated $70 million for redress payments under the scheme, which begins on July 1, but that figure won't be capped.

Payments of up to $150,000 will be available to survivors, as well as access to counselling services.

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The state ran its own $54 million redress scheme from 2003-13 but Ms Archer said survivors could apply again under the national plan.

However redress will be considered as an "offset" to any previous payments, with claims to be considered on a case-by-case basis by an independent federal assessor.

"We certainly welcome the government's decision," Sexual Assault Support Service chief executive Jill Maxwell told AAP.

"My understanding is that with the state scheme there wasn't support through counselling, where as this one there will be.

"There'll be more more support offered in terms of telling their story."

Opposition leader Rebecca White said the government took too long to sign up.

"This delay has not been fair on victims," she said.

But Premier Will Hodgman told reporters it was a complex process that couldn't be rushed.

Tasmania's Anglican and Catholic churches back the move.

The state's Anglican Diocese has controversially pledged to sell more than 100 properties, including more than 70 churches, to help fund $8.6 million in redress.

But the plan has drawn criticism from people worried about the future of heritage buildings and local parishes.

Ms Archer said the state government would table legislation in coming months.

SA has agreed in principle to join the redress scheme, while WA wants the federal government to take responsibility for child migrants before it signs up.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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