Peak body for psychology the Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomes news that all state and territory governments have agreed to pay redress to victims of child sexual abuse in sporting institutions.
State and territory governments will now cover the compensation that is owed by organisations that have refused to sign on to the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Redress Scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse.
Twelve organisations have refused to join the Redress Scheme, leaving approximately 50 victim applications previously unable to progress further.
The APS welcomes the announcement that all jurisdictions will step in and cover the compensation bill, with APS CEO Dr Zena Burgess acknowledging the significant impacts of child sexual abuse.
“There is a variety of harm that people can experience as a direct consequence of being victimised, including severe adverse effects on mental or physical health and wellbeing, and a possible increased vulnerability for self-harm or suicide,” she said.
“The APS commends state and territory governments for stepping up and supporting people who have experienced significant and prolonged distress and have been unable to receive the compensation they deserve.”
The harm that child sexual abuse can cause is a critical issue of concern for psychologists who have an important role in assisting and treating people who have experienced, committed or been exposed to child sexual abuse, and also members of their family and wider community who may also be adversely affected.
The APS is committed to supporting efforts to prevent child sexual abuse and increasing child safety. These efforts are central to the APS mission, values and ethics and involve applying knowledge from many areas of psychological research and practice.
The ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Redress Scheme began in July 2018 in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Scheme supports people who experienced child sexual abuse while in an institution, helping them to access redress and connecting them to free redress support services.
