Sex abuse victims fear delays on compo

CHILD sex abuse survivors worried they will die before getting compensation are counting down the days until the national redress scheme opens on July 1.

The Anglicans, Salvation Army, the Scouts and the YMCA yesterday joined the Catholic Church in promising to sign up for the $3.8 billion scheme.

Survivors who fought for the royal commission and had waited for the scheme to open said they were already asking for forms to fill out.

“They are extremely anxious that they won’t be alive to see their redress. Our oldest member is 95,” Care Leavers Australia Network chief executive Leonie Sheedy said.

She said there were mixed feelings about the scheme, and how long it had taken to begin.

“People have died. We’ve lost 34 care leavers since the royal commission was established,” Ms Sheedy said.

The scheme will now cover four out of five child sex abuse survivors. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the royal commission had allowed survivors to be heard and believed, many for the first time.

“This week, as a nation, we have taken several important steps in the journey of healing,” he told parliament.

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan said organisations that had not yet signed up would be judged by the public and he thanked those who had.

“(Thanks) for owning up to past wrongs, to owning up to behaviour that can only be described as despicable and deplorable,” he said.

The Anglican Church reached an “in-principle agreement” to join, and will form an independent entity to cover Anglican dioceses, schools and welfare agencies.

The YMCA also said it was working with all 19 YMCAs across Australia to help ensure it can be part of the scheme.

The scheme will cover about 60,000 institutional child sexual abuse survivors nationally, with compensation payments capped at $150,000.