Victim-survivors left with no support after giving evidence at the Commission of Inquiry

Victim-survivors, instrumental in uncovering decades of abuse, were ‘chewed up and spat out’ - left to resume their normal lives with little to no support after speaking out, a survivor says.

Katrina Munting and her husband Danny Munting at Parliament lawns, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Victim-survivors who gave evidence at the Commission of Inquiry have not received adequate support to resume their normal lives, with many left unable to work and others held back in their jobs for speaking out, Katrina Munting says.

The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings last year found there were serious failures in multiple government agencies.

Ms Munting, a victim-survivor who spoke out about abuse she’d suffered, said many had struggled after speaking out.

“We have been chewed up and spat out,” Ms Munting said on Thursday.

“The COI was sold to us as an opportunity to be heard and believed and to inform change on child safety and got that, we were heard and we were believed.

“The fallout of the COI was not part of that deal. Having to deal with life post COI has been endlessly more difficult than it should have been.

“We relived the darkest parts of our past, the government has it’s report and its recommendations and we’ve been kicked aside because the government has what they want.”

Grace Tame, Katrina Munting and her husband Danny Munting at Parliament lawns, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Munting, who was supported by her husband and by child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame, said she spoke for a large number of people, but not for all victim-survivors.

She said after the support provided in the wake of the inquiry was not adequate.

“There was psychological fallout, as part of the COI, for many of us. We expected that,” she said.

“We had our standard contact people as part of the COI and they work wonderful, we continue to have some contact with them post COI.

“What else we had was a card with some phone numbers and that is it.”

Ms Munting said the lack of support had made it difficult for many to transition back to normal life and work.

“There are some people who haven’t been able to return to work at all, others unable to maintain their employment, some can’t gain shifts in their employment anymore, they’ve been automatically discounted for jobs or promotions,” Ms Munting said.

“There are others who are working in untenable circumstances because of the way their colleagues are treating them.

“Many of us no longer have sick leave. If we are away sick, we take leave without pay.”

Grace Tame and Katrina Munting at Parliament lawns, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Munting said the state government needed to provide support for victim-survivors.

“We need ongoing, tangible, on the ground, potentially financial support to negate the fallout of participating in the COI,” she said.

“This statement today is levelled directly at the new government and it must land right at the feet of the Premier.”

She also said more support and information was needed to empower employers to provide support.

“For victim survivors, whistle blowers, family members, who have managed to stay in their employment, there are organisations and businesses that have tried very hard to support those people,” Ms Munting said.

“They haven’t been provided with any support or information, they didn’t know what to expect when we came back to work.

“They need a support service to assist them in supporting us. They need knowledge, they need training and in some cases, financial support as well.”

In response to questions addressed to Premier Jeremy Rockliff, a government spokesperson said:

“We are acutely aware of the impact that the Commission of Inquiry has had on the brave victim-survivors and advocates who spoke out to ensure the failings over the past 22 years were uncovered,” they said.

“We continue to financially support victim survivors both directly and indirectly following the Commission of Inquiry’s Report, ensuring that services and community groups have the resources and funding to respond to need.

We will continue to liaise with these services about community need and their resourcing requirements to ensure Tasmanians who need support and help can access it.”

Calls to withdraw “flawed” report

David Killick

Victim-Survivor Katrina Munting said some departmental staff had been left in untenable positions in the wake of the Commission of Inquiry

“There are government staff who are working beneath managers who, through the COI under pseudonyms, have been identified for their wrongdoings,” Ms Munting said.

“Staff on the ground are really struggling to work beneath them under their leadership

they know the wrongdoings of these people in the past, but they can’t speak up, they can’t speak about the untenable situation they are being placed in.”

“It begs questions about why these people still have their jobs. Why do they still maintain their power?

“How are these people supposed to embody these new values and changing culture when they can’t see it from the top.”

The Blake report, released on Friday, cleared senior public servants of wrongdoing in relation to the Commission of Inquiry, but inadequacies in the evidence it was provided have prompted calls for it to be withdrawn.

The Auditor-General of Tasmania, Mike Blake speaks to the media outside Parliament House, Hobart.

Liberal minister Felix Ellis said the content of the report was a matter for Mr Blake.

“Mike Blake has provided his report. We’ve accepted that and now we’ll consider the findings as part of it.

“Obviously Mr Blake is also welcome to consider any other matters but we’re looking to get on with the job and consider those recommendations.

“The information that Mr Blake had access to is a matter for Mr Blake but ultimately, we’ve received and accepted his report and now we’re considering those findings.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff was briefed on the report on Wednesday and added her voice to those calling for the report to be withdrawn.

“I was extremely disturbed, actually I left feeling very angry, very angry at Jeremy Rockliff for having created a fundamentally flawed process,” she said.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff speaks to the media on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Monday, March 25, 2024.

“What we’ve got now is a report that didn’t answer the questions that Tasmanians need to have answered.

“He clearly didn’t have all the information before him and that was withheld because of matters of legal cases that are ongoing. So critical information was not available to Mr Blake.”

Labor leader Dean Winter said there was little point in withdrawing the report, but further questions would be asked in parliament.

“This is actually about Tasmanian children who have been abused,” he said.

“It’s about setting up new systems and processes that make sure the Tasmanian children aren’t exposed to that in the future. But as part of that we need to hold people to account.

“I don’t think the review has given us the answers that we were looking for, and the parliament still has a job to do.

“We need a government that is going to behave differently. Tasmanians are sick of the chaos and the cover-ups of Jeremy Rockliff’s last government.