Ballarat survivors fear being abandoned and let down again as they wait for news on redress and the implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
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It is almost six months since the Royal Commission concluded and handed down its 17-volume Final Report. The report - after five years of investigations, 1200 witness accounts and more than 8000 private sessions – made a total of 409 recommendations; 189 of those aimed at making institutions safer for children.
One of those recommendations was a Commonwealth Redress Scheme intended to operate for 10 years from 1 July 2018 and providing payments of up to $150 000 to survivors, access to counselling and psychological services for survivors, and facilitating a direct personal response to survivors from the institutions responsible.
Ballarat-based survivor Gary Sculley said; “The redress is quite poor in a way, going against a lot of the Royal Commission recommendations and whittling it down to the point where it is insulting.”
“Redress needs to be across the board, not selective. Long term physical care has been completely left out and there has been so much ... research that categorically states that this type of abuse affects the physical long-term health of survivors. They [the government] are not addressing it at all.”
“Survivors are put in a position now where it’s basically take the redress, go away and die; it is appalling … It is put back onto the community to pick up the pieces. They (Government) have a duty of care,” he said.
“We are all feeling a bit flat, “ advocate Maureen Hatcher said.
“There is still so far to go and the survivors are constantly playing a waiting game … for redress, the recommendations, for an apology.”
Ballarat survivor and former Christian Brothers’ school student, Stephen Woods said there “is so much frustration and anger. The survivors and families … we are all still holding on.’’
“Like so many others, my life has been a small percentage of the potential I have, of what I could have achieved,” Mr Woods said.
Director of Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) Shireen Gunn, cautioned that, “even though the Royal Commission has officially concluded, the issues for survivors have not gone away,”
“It is still an everyday issue for survivors and ongoing support is so important. We need to maintain the focus and awareness.”
Ms Gunn said the men’s support group was continuing, thanks to the financial support from the Send Ballarat Survivors to Rome campaign, and matched by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.
“It has enabled us to continue the crisis support and case management and fund a full-time counsellor.”
There is a core group of 15 men who attend the monthly support group.
“I have only ever missed one meeting since mid 2013 when it started,” Mr Sculley said.
“The group has been critical for our healing and for learning to take control of our lives and to be able to re-enter society.”
Mr Sculley said the support he had received from CASA counsellors and the men in the group, had made it possible for him to “come out of the shadows”.
On Wednesday, Mr Sculley was able to make a phone call and have a conversation that he simply would not have been able to do years, or even months ago.
“It was a good day,” he said, “they don’t happen often.”
For support: Ballarat CASA – (03) 5320 3933 and (1800) 806 292 (free call).