Six Tasmanian child sex abuse victims share in $5.3m compensation

Abuse victims of former a priest and teacher have received more than $5m in a move lawyers said showed the government “is being brought to account and acknowledging its responsibilities”.

SIX Tasmanians abused by a former priest and teacher have been paid $5.3m in a settlement with the state government with a $1.4m payment to one man believed to be the highest paid for historical child abuse.

The six were sexually assaulted by Anthony LeClerc in 1980 when they were in primary school in the state’s North-West.

After Supreme Court mediation last week, their group claim was settled by the government with the individual settlements between $620,000 and $1.4m.

Angela Sdrinis, director of Angela Sdrinis Legal, who acted for the claimants, said she was pleased that their “long journeys have come to an end”.

“Their stories began in 1980 when they were in primary school and sexually assaulted by LeClerc who has been identified as a prolific abuser who over a long period of time, for reasons which are unfathomable, was protected by the Department of Education,” Ms Sdrinis said.

LeClerc was moved around – and the education department knew

She said all six were relieved to have the case settled.

“The government offered them enough for them to take the money and run,” she said.

“It is hard to assess potential loss of income, which is easier if it had been a car accident, but the settlements do give them certainty.”

The man with the $1.4m settlement was “doing a lot better today than he was last week”, Ms Sdrinis said.

Lawyer Angela Sdrinis launched the group action against Tasmania’s education department on behalf of victims. Picture: Penny Stephens

Le Clerc was jailed in 2015 for six years with a non-parole period of three years, when he admitted to molesting 14 children from 1973 to 1983, after allegations were raised at a royal commission into institutionalised child sex abuse.

Ms Sdrinis urged other victims of institutional child abuse to continue to come forward and to provide submissions to the Commission of Inquiry, which was established by the Tasmanian government to investigate and report on child sex abuse in Tasmanian government institutions.

“We know that survivors of child sex abuse are often left with significant trust issues and given the revelations in the media about past government inaction and cover-ups, many survivors feel cynical about the Commission’s work and hold the belief that the COI is just another delaying tactic on the part of the government to avoid responsibility,” she said.

“However, these recent settlements show that the Tasmanian government is being brought to account and acknowledging its responsibilities.

“We are supportive of the inquiry’s work and whilst we would have hoped for wider terms of reference, this is an opportunity to work together so that Tasmanian children today will not face the same risk as the risks faced by our clients in the LeClerc matters.

“We hope that in combination with the inquiry’s important work, and the Tasmanian government being brought to account through litigation in the common law courts, there will finally be lasting change.”