The National Redress Scheme has been created in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. This Scheme acknowledges the abuse suffered by children in Australian institutions and recognises the suffering they have endured.
Benefits under the Scheme may be available to victims of child sexual abuse where the abuse occurred before 1 July 2018 and an institution was responsible for putting the victim in contact with the offender. These benefits may include financial redress and support services.
The Scheme commenced on 1 July 2018 and will run for 10 years.
To date, there are more than 40,800 institutions who have opted into the Scheme, including all States and Territory Governments and 56 non-Government organisations, such as churches, schools, homes, charities and community groups across Australia. Recently, an additional 875 institutions have joined the Scheme.
As of 4 October 2019, the National Redress Scheme has received over 5,048 applications from survivors of instructional abuse. At present, approximately 750 determinations have been made, totalling over $51.3m, that's an average of about $70,000 per payment.
There are also approximately 618 applications on hold as the institution named on the application has not yet opted into the Scheme. The Government is urging other institutions to opt into the Scheme to allow survivors to access the support as soon as possible.
For more information including a list of the local institutions that have joined the Scheme, please visit www.nationalredress.gov.au.
If you would like more information about the Scheme or you would like to discuss your possible rights and entitlements under the Scheme, we recommend that you contact one of our experienced solicitors.
The contents of this publication are for reference purposes only. This publication does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Specific legal advice should always be sought separately before taking any action based on this publication