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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-02 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

CHILDREN IN STATE CARE INQUIRY

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:04): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Mullighan inquiry itself was an important part of the process of healing for victims of child sexual abuse while in care, and that was made very clear yesterday in interviews, comments and statements made by survivors. The opportunity to break the silence, in many cases for the first time, allowed the healing process to begin.

I said yesterday that this report must make us listen, must make us understand, and must make us act with resolve. In part, our actions will ensure that the DPP has the resources to bring to justice the perpetrators of these vile indecencies on vulnerable, innocent children. Understandably, any consideration of these issues must also turn to the question of reparation. People who were abused while in state care as children should and will receive compensation. Let me repeat that, because it seems that some people did not listen carefully yesterday. People who were abused while in state care as children should and will receive compensation. Any person who was sexually abused while in care is eligible to immediately seek compensation through the Victims of Crime Fund that has $22 million available for victim compensation.

Victims of sexual abuse of children in state care are eligible for payment of up to $50,000 without having to suffer again by being dragged through the court process. This fund is available to survivors now. In his report, Commissioner Ted Mullighan did not specifically recommend a compensation scheme, but asked for the state to examine how other jurisdictions have dealt with the issue. This government will offer an apology to survivors and will respond to all of the report's 54 recommendations by June this year.

While the state government will be considering what has happened interstate, survivors who want to pursue a civil settlement against the state and other non-government organisations that may be involved in their case are free to do so through the court process. The report deals with many cases of alleged abuse that involve non-government institutions, including churches. Consideration of reparation issues that should, of course, also involve these parties. The state government is committed to acting as a model litigant, and any civil claims by survivors will of course be dealt with compassionately and expeditiously. Let me make that quite clear: we have a recommendation that relates to compensation, and we will respond to that recommendation. There is also recourse under the civil law, but there is now $22 million in the victims compensation scheme, and that is available for application immediately.

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