As read in the 24 May 2018 House of Representatives parliamentary papers. Members' Statements (p. 36-55) saw Parliamentarians now discussing how to provide compensation to the 20,000 survivors of sexual abuse who as children were in the care of 4,000 state and territory government institutions.
Julia Gillard establishment the Royal Commission in 2013, it finished on 14th of December 2017 and had 400 recommendations. It was needed because reports from victims at the time of the crimes were ignored and institutions chose to protect their reputation and so sheltered perpetrators and moved them from institution to institution.
Over the five-year inquiry, there were 42,041 calls handled, 25,964 letters received, 8,013 private sessions held,and 2,575 referrals to authorities, including to the police.
At the request of the Commission, the Catholic Church provided data on complaints. Between 1980 and 2015 alone, over 4,400 people alleged incidents relating to more than 1,000 separate institutions. Of the victims, 78% were male. Tragically, the average age of male victims was 11½ years old, while for girls it was just 10½.
Of the alleged perpetrators, 90% were male. 62% of the perpetrators were priests or brothers. 7% of all priests were perpetrators. 20% of all Marist Brothers and 22% of all Christian Brothers were perpetrators. Can you imagine another institution in this country where close to one-quarter of its members were perpetrators?
Five male religious orders—the Christian Brothers, the De La Salle Brothers, the Marist Brothers, the Patrician Brothers and the St John of God Brothers—represent more than 40% of all claims made to Catholic Church authorities.
The commission tabled its final report on 15 December and so on the 15th of every month, the Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) (who represents, supports and advocates for people who were raised in Australian and New Zealand Orphanages, Children's Homes & Foster Care) will release an update of how many of its recommendations have been implemented.
Examples of recommendations include that a range of changes be made to Medicare to help provide rest-of-life psychological care to survivors of child sexual abuse, reforming the Catholic Church around celibacy and the culture of secrecy with the seal of the confessional where the faithful seek divine absolution from their sins.
There has already been results, the highest ranking official in South Australia’s Catholic Church Philip Wilson will reign from his post of Archbishop after being found guilty of not only ignoring but covering up a priest's sexual abuse of altar boys including one 10 year old boy who was a family friend who confided in Wilson at age 15. The paedophile, priest Jim Fletcher died in jail in 2006. Wilson now faces a maximum 2 years in jail with sentencing to occur on June 19 2018.
National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018
The national redress scheme is due to commence on 1 July 2018. It will pay survivors:
- Maximum $150,000 each
- Provide counselling and psychological care throughout a survivor's life.
Changes are being discussed to refrain from providing just a lump sum of $5,000 but to make changes to Medicare to help provide for rest of-life psychological care to survivors.