Psychologists have welcomed today’s announcement that survivors of institutional child sexual abuse who are older or terminally ill will be able to access advance payments of $10,000 under proposed changes to the National Redress Scheme.
Quotes attributable to Dr Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society:
“Allowing elderly or terminally ill survivors to access advanced compensation is an important step to uphold the sort of redress scheme the Royal Commission intended.”
“The Royal Commission was unequivocal in its recommendation that the redress scheme should be survivor focused.”
“These proposed changes must both expedite and simplify the application for survivors.”
“The potential re-traumatisation of victims and survivors in the current process is deeply concerning to psychologists. The APS is pleased to see a commitment for more robust, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive support.”
“However, as recognised by the review, the window for change is now extremely limited. These reforms should be considered with a matter of urgency.”
“The third anniversary of the scheme is approaching. For many victims and survivors, the weight of their experiences and trauma has been carried for a lifetime. It is vital that criticisms of an overly complex, slow and traumatising process are immediately addressed.”
