Institutions lag behind on redress

ALMOST a quarter of churches and other institutions that face claims of child sexual abuse have not joined the scheme that allows victims to receive redress payments and counselling.

Nine months after the scheme was established, 23 per cent of institutions that already face applications over abuse of children in their care had still not signed up by April 5.

Victims cannot have their claims, which include formal acknowledgment of the abuse, counselling and redress payments, until the institution is part of the scheme.

Remaining groups have until June 2020 to sign up to the scheme, set up after the royal commission into child sexual abuse. So far, 35 institutions have signed up, but these cover some of the most extensive instances of abuse.

The scheme has received 3439 applications for redress, so far there have been 131 payments and another 22 offers pending.

Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher encouraged institutions to join the scheme.

“In the early months, the majority of applications we received for redress could not be processed because they concerned abuse, which occurred at an institution, which had not yet joined the scheme,” he said.