Victims of institutional sex abuse urged to seek legal help with National Redress Scheme
Legal experts have advised victims of institutional or clergy abuse to explore their options before applying for compensation with the National Redress Scheme, which some have described as “disappointing”.
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Victims of clergy or institutional abuse are being warned to seek legal advice before applying for compensation through the government’s National Redress Scheme.
Under the scheme, victims can expect to receive payments of up to $150,000, depending on the severity of the abuse endured.
Previous compensation payments are also deducted from the total value awarded under the scheme.
Legal experts have advised victims to explore their options before signing the legally binding agreement.
Arnold Thomas & Becker partner Kim Price said the law firm had won compensation of up to $1 million for victims.
“The scheme is disappointing,” Mr Price said.
“The motive behind it was to properly compensate survivors but unfortunately it’s likely to have an opposite effect.
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“It’s a very problematic situation.”
Priests and other religious figures will be forced to report child abuse to authorities under new laws introduced in Victoria last week.
The Catholic Church of Melbourne pushed back against the legislation, and Archbishop Peter Comensoli declared that he would rather go to jail than break the confessional seal.
The new law includes landmark reforms to allow victims of sexual and non-sexual institutional abuse to apply to the courts to overturn unfair historical compensation payments.