Tough new laws to bring offenders to justice in NSW now in effect As of December 1st, 2018, new child sexual abuse legislation has come into effect, increasing child protection in New South Wales and…
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On October 22, Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised to thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse, recognising the “dark, evil times” children suffered at the hands of priests, teachers and foster carers among a long…
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For too long, paedophiles with sob stories have gotten away with light jail sentences. Thankfully, after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the courts have finally gotten the message – it…
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“IF THEY GET WIND OF THIS WE COULD HAVE A REAL PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS” Institutions have been lying to victims of abuse in Australia for decades, but it’s rare they ever get caught in…
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“Today, Australia confronts a trauma. An abomination, hiding in plain sight for far too long. Today, we confront a question too horrible to ask, let alone answer – why weren’t the children of our nation…
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As the reality of the Redress Scheme sets in, it becomes painfully obvious what victims of institutional abuse have to do to receive redress. The National Redress Scheme is hard to apply for and even…
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Government department attempts to intimidate Peter Kelso over redress scheme Peter Kelso has received a long legal document from the Department of Social Services regarding two domain names registered under Peter’s name. Peter owns http://nationalredress.com.au/…
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The great scandal of the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse is the Government ignored many of its recommendations. Imagine that…five years, at a cost to the taxpayers of $372 million dollars, thousands upon thousands…
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The National Redress Scheme for victims of historic child sex abuse is attracting a lot of media attention. Many churches and government institutions responsible for the abuse of children have signed up. It has been…
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It is often said that if you want the truth, follow the money. Doing that with the National Redress Scheme reveals the real focus. Did you know the politicians voted for the National Redress Scheme…
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Nine months after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse handed down its findings, the Catholic Church has rejected the recommendation to lift the Seal of Confession regarding child sexual abuse. According…
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Terminally ill man Paul Bradshaw has reached a landmark settlement of $1 million dollars in his case against Christian Brothers. Bradshaw was bravely prepared to testify in court on his treatment while residing at Castledare…
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We need longer jail terms for paedophiles in NSW How many times do we read about another convicted paedophile getting off lightly when he is sentenced? Only recently a paedophile was given a measly 20-month…
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NSW will make it easier for victims to sue churches and institutions By the end of the year, it will be a lot easier for victims of institutional abuse in NSW to sue churches, the…
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The Pope has accepted Archbishop Philip Wilson’s resignation two months after the 67-year-old was convicted of concealing the crimes of serial paedophile, Jim Fletcher, in the 1970s. Wilson was given a 12-month sentence in June…
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National Redress Scheme begins, allowing over 60,000 victims to seek compensation The National Redress Scheme has begun, giving 60,000 survivors of child sexual abuse the chance to claim compensation against the predators who stole their…
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Salvation Army, Scouts, YMCA, Anglican Church sign on to redress scheme Scouts Australia, the Salvation Army, YMCA Australia, the Uniting Church and the Anglican Church are all joining the national redress scheme for child abuse…
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Western Australian Christian Brother jailed for historical abuse of child in Kalgoorlie An 84-year-old Christian Brother has been jailed for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Kalgoorlie in 1964. James Brian Hamilton was a teaching…
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Kelso Lawyers are updating the name of our Facebook page from Royal Commission Child Abuse Unofficial to Royal Commission and Institutional Abuse News to reflect our wider support of victims of institutional abuse and the…
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There is little to no published information on the culture of abuse within the ranks of the police force. Until you really start digging. And then you uncover the horrific stories of abuse and harassment….
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Cardinal George Pell faced abuse accusers via video link Cardinal George Pell’s alleged abuse victims began testifying against him in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on March 5, 2018. The survivors appeared via video link before…
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South Australia refuses to abolish time limit for victims of abuse The South Australian government has refused to abolish time limits for victims of child abuse and has said there are “no plans” to make…
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(The Kelso Family left to right: Dr Michelle Kelso, Brendan Kelso, Lydia Kelso, Peter Kelso and Ashley Kelso.) As a father of four children, there are many proud moments in my life. I am now…
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Former trainee priest who exposed Vatican secrets challenges Pope Francis Former trainee priest, Kieran Tapsell, has claimed the Catholic Church can heal if Pope Francis is up for the challenge. The Royal Commission heard evidence…
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Former Archbishop of Melbourne failed to prevent child sex abuse The culture of abuse that has been exposed in the Catholic Church was allowed to continue by the actions of many of those in power….
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You’re getting more than a lawyer with Kelso Lawyers. Kelso Lawyers is a father, son, and daughter law firm. Peter started his firm from scratch in 1986. This was a huge achievement for a man…
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Islamic institutions overlooked by the world’s finest and best-funded Child Abuse Inquiry The Child Abuse Royal Commission finished on 15 December when Justice Peter McClellan handed the Commission’s final report to the Governor-General in Canberra….
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Charges have been laid against Former Anglican Dean Graeme Lawrence relating to the sexual assault of a teenage boy in the 1990s. Lawrence, 75, retired from the Church in 2008 and was subsequently defrocked in…
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Prison time for failing to prevent child abuse in schools, government departments, organisations The Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse is recommending the state government consider prison time for people working with children who do…
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Foster care abuse victims will soon be eligible for compensation The highest court in the United Kingdom has overturned a Court of Appeal decision, opening up the right to hold governments liable for the sexual…
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We need to boycott Mr Turnbull’s wretched redress scheme The Turnbull Government has announced that the proposed National Redress Scheme for institutional child abuse victims will exclude people with certain criminal records. If you have…
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Abuse is beast which takes many forms. Sadly, our society is rife with human beings displaying abusive behaviour toward others. Abusive behaviour can affect every aspect of an individual’s life. Relationships, well-being, finances, self-esteem, physical…
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Since 2012 the Australian jail system has seen a massive increase in prisoners over 50 years old. This increase has put a huge strain on the system, as jails weren’t built to accommodate the needs…
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This time last year the Prime Minister announced the Commonwealth Government was committed to a $4.3 billion National Redress Scheme (NRS) to compensate victims of child abuse. The Scheme was applauded by advocacy groups and…
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Did you know that State governments are refusing to compensate children abused in foster homes? Did you know that the National Redress Scheme for victims of institutional child sex abuse has shut the door on…
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Gerald Ridsdale sentenced to another 11 years in prison for child sexual abuse Australia’s most notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale has been sentenced on August 31st for abusing 12 children from the 1960’s and 80’s….
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It’s no longer astonishing when you hear there is new evidence to suggest the Catholic Church covered up paedophile priests and teachers. It’s simply disappointing. So many young lives ruined by the actions of abhorrent…
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There is a long history of sexual and physical abuse in the Australian Armed Forces. The Child Abuse Royal Commission has heard from 111 people with plausible stories of abuse in the armed forces. These…
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The history of George Pell Climbing the ranks into the Vatican – how Australian Cardinal George Pell went from a small town football player to the Vatican’s third in command. 1941 – George was born…
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I have worked with victims of abuse for nearly 30 years. I have observed anger and bitterness at the very coalface. It’s the kind of bitterness which is completely warranted, considering the trauma these victims…
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We have been told that Cardinal Pell has hired top criminal lawyer Robert Richter QC to defend him against the Victoria Director of Public Prosecutions (‘the Crown’). Richter will have one or two junior barristers…
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Why Australia hates George Pell Cardinal George Pell is a household name for all the wrong reasons. Why is he so unpopular? Why do so many people spew hatred towards him at the mention of…
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In this monthly wrap up we’ve got a summary of the very latest news in the Royal Commission and institutional abuse. Several charges have been dropped for a Muslim Imam who conducted the wedding of…
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Has the Commonwealth Government got its priorities right? This week the Commonwealth Government settled a nuisance class action with 1,900 asylum seekers stuck on Manus Island detention centre. Detainees alleged they were mistreated and deprived…
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How I found my family after 17 years This is part four of my series on my childhood as a ward of the State. If you haven’t read the previous articles you can view them…
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Over 30 Men arrested and charged with child sex offences More than 30 men in the Pilbara region of Western Australia have been charged with close to 300 counts of child sex abuse. This is…
Read Article →Cardinal Pell may soon face child sex charges The Director of Public Prosecutions has given advice to the Victorian Police about an investigation into Cardinal George Pell. Australia’s most hated man has faced many accusations…
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Image: Me on my sixth birthday This is part three of my series on my childhood as a ward of the State. If you haven’t read the previous articles you can check them out here…
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What has the Child Abuse Royal Commission actually achieved? Many will be asking this question when Justice Peter McClellan hands down his final report in December 2017. What will the Commission recommend? Will anything change?…
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If we have already declined your case, we want to explain that it’s not without cause. We understand how it feels to share your story, especially the first time. Peter in particular knows exactly…
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The photo is of myself and my peers at Meadowbank Boys’ High Third Year – 1971 This is the second chapter of a series about my personal experiences of childhood abuse. If you haven’t already…
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Image: Peter Kelso (highlighted) before he was removed. Shown here with (L-R) Billy, Dianne and Arthur. I was just five years old when my mother arranged to give me away to the Child Welfare Department….
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Prolific paedophile priest admits to more counts of child abuse. 82-year-old paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale pleaded guilty to 20 counts of child abuse. He was first convicted in 1994. Ridsdale was eligible for parole in…
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Radio broadcaster Alan Jones joins Peter Kelso’s crusade against the Royal Commission’s big mistake: its failure to investigate Islamic groups for child sex offences. Alan Jones: Well look just before we go tonight the Royal…
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Did you know children placed with foster parents in family homes have very limited rights to be compensated by the government for any sexual, physical or emotional abuse? Foster children are some of the most…
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Father of Salvation Army leader charged with child sex offences Ray Pethybridge has been charged with 14 sexual offences. Several of these offences were allegedly perpetrated against underaged girls. Pethybridge (whose son is a high…
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The Parramatta Girls’ Training School was an institution sadly run like many others throughout the 1950’s to the 70’s. Sexual abuse, psychological abuse and state sanctioned slave labour weren’t just accepted regular practice at Parramatta…
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Almost all institutions involved in the Royal Commission are offering verbal and written apologies to survivors of historical child abuse. It has become ‘standard practice’ where both parties are legally represented but agree to settle…
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My hope for the future of the church Have you ever noticed how easily children believe in the wonder of faith? Children seem to have a natural curiosity about God. They are drawn to the…
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Last week I wrote an opinion piece that was an inflammatory and passionate call for significant change. The piece called for a radical internal reform of the Anglican Church in Newcastle. I made the plea…
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Newcastle Bishop resigns after sharing his story of abuse amidst pressure from the Anglican Church Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson announced his retirement after sharing his tragic history as a victim of sexual abuse. The…
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Everyone who lives in Newcastle and the Hunter knows the once-iconic Anglican Cathedral. The imposing building dominates the Newcastle skyline on its perch right up there on the hill above the city. The Newcastle Anglican…
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Uniting Church apologises to victims and Jehovah’s Witnesses defend practices The Uniting Church in Australia has apologised to victims of child sexual abuse, whilst Jehovah’s Witness elders have defended their practices of shunning victims. The…
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Guess how much money the combined churches in Australia make in one year. I’ll give you a hint – it’s a truckload of cash. Over $30 billion. The Catholic Church owns over half of that…
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Catholic Church funds legal fees of Christian Brothers paedophile Robert Best is just one of many prolific paedophiles in The Christian Brothers – an institution within the Catholic Church. On the second of March, Best…
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The Catholic Church has done it again. Once more the leaders of the Catholic Church have shown their blatant disregard for the law. Amidst all the heart-tugging apologies and expressions of supposed outrage from leading…
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In 1962, when I was five, I was taken from my parents and made a ward of the state. As a child, I was a victim of institutional abuse. Now, the team at Kelso Lawyers…
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We are 50 hearings into the Royal Commission into Child Abuse without a single hearing into child abuse within the Islamic community of Australia. With systemic abuse uncovered in a number of religious organisations across the…
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Unprecedented level of Paedophilia in the Catholic Church In a 35-year period from 1980 to 2015 almost 4500 allegations of child abuse were made to church authorities- involving roughly 1880 offenders. This unprecedented number demonstrates…
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The question we need to ask ourselves about the Catholic Church in Australia Have you been outraged by the sheer magnitude of the problem of child sexual abuse perpetrated by priests and religious brothers from…
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Plus notorious paedophile’s shocking reign of terror, and convicted paedophile up for parole after serving just three and a half years. Forty years after fleeing the US to escape conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl,…
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Proposed Government plan aims to boost adoption rates of at-risk kids in NSW Abusive parents will have just two years to turn their lives around and permanently claim back their children in care or at-risk…
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Dear Survivors, I have been following your country’s public inquiry into child sex abuse since it started in March 2015. Unfortunately, it’s been a disaster from the beginning. The Inquiry has now appointed its fourth…
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He was a notorious conman who not only avoided prison despite being convicted three times, but also was hired as a teacher and promoted to school principal while on a good behaviour bond for child…
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They were all respected men. They were all trusted to care for the children under their supervision. Instead, they manipulated, groomed, abused and tortured those they were supposed to protect. They are wolves hiding in…
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Dear Bishop Roger, I am a solicitor in Newcastle. I have lived here since 1984. I act for many survivors of institutional child abuse all around Australia. For a considerable part of my time here…
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Let’s be honest. We all know you can’t change the past. But you can do something about improving your future. And a lump sum of compensation money, used wisely, can be life changing. People out…
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There has been a significant drop in the number of civil cases that have ended up in the courts over the last few years. These days, claims for compensation are more often being mediated privately…
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The current Anglican bishop of Newcastle, Greg Thompson, has told the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse that he was sexually assaulted by priest Eric Baker during the 1970s. Thompson was 19 at the time,…
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Please note – this article has been updated in 2018. Advocacy groups have been funded for years to campaign for compensation for people who have been abused as children by clergy, teachers, foster carers, house…
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Institutional child sex abuse survivors are set to receive up to $150,000 each under a new Federal Government compensation scheme. States, territories and institutions — including churches — can opt in to the Commonwealth program…
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Paedophile dance teacher to serve 18 years in prison Former Sydney dance teacher Grant Davies will spend at least 18 years in prison after being convicted for child sex abuse. He repeatedly abused girls during…
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As the dust settles on the the Child Abuse Royal Commission’s 2014 hearing into the State government’s response to child abuse at Parramatta and Hay, in my view, we need to have an in-depth review…
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PM Turnbull commits to $4.3-billion national redress scheme Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has committed to a multi-billion-dollar redress scheme proposed by the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse. Turnbull’s commitment came during a private meeting…
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Many survivors of child abuse have had their abuser living ‘rent-free’ in their head in the decades after the abuse. Receiving a genuine apology and a fair compensation payout from the institution, alongside counselling support, can…
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If you’ve been a victim of clergy or institutional child abuse and are interested in seeking compensation, the costs and time frame involved with making the claim will be factors you’ve likely considered. We’ve outlined what you…
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There are two pathways to seeking compensation for survivors of clergy and institutional child abuse. We have found that seeking compensation through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is much better suited to historical child abuse cases. ADR…
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To build a case for compensation, we will need to draft a comprehensive statement that details the abuse and the impact it has had on your life. The solicitor working on your case will work…
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Kelso Lawyers understand that revisiting past memories can be a distressing experience and we go to great lengths to ensure that our process is as supportive as possible for survivors. Once Kelso Lawyers have accepted…
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Despite conceding that he first received a complaint about defrocked former Newcastle Dean Graeme Lawrence in 1995 and was made aware of further allegations against Lawrence in 1999, Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft has denied…
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‘Distressing’ pornography discovered in senior priest’s home Former archdeacon of the Upper Hunter diocese, Colvin Ford, has told the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse that a collection of gay and child pornography found in…
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Lowell Goddard has quit her post as Chair of the Child Sexual Inquiry in England and Wales. This sudden and unexplained move follows criticism of Goddard for not doing enough and for spending too much time overseas….
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Many child abuse survivors are hesitant to engage in legal proceedings. It is often seen as a costly process tied up in red tape. We understand that. It’s for this reason that we follow a process…
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Cardinal George Pell accused of child sex abuse across two decades Victorian police are investigating Cardinal George Pell following explosive testimony given to the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse. Pell is accused of multiple…
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Sexual assault survivor receives financial settlement from Marist Brothers Kelso Lawyers has secured a sincere apology and a substantial financial settlement from the Marist Brothers for brutal physical and sexual abuse that occurred at St…
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A victim of child sexual abuse may be eligible to seek compensation for the suffering they’ve endured. But why should a victim seek compensation? Victim compensation is a key component in the provision of justice in Australia. The…
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Department of Defence silent on RAAF sex crimes The Department of Defence has failed to pay the psychologist bills of a former RAAF teenage cadet who was sexually abused by a cadet instructor. The Department…
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Two former Parramatta Girls Training School bosses charged with rape Noel Greenaway and Frank Valentine have been charged with three counts of raping girls attending Parramatta Girls Training School. Greenaway was superintendent of the institution…
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‘Parra Girls’ forced into slave labour Survivors of brutal sexual and physical abuse whilst attending the Parramatta Girls Training School and The Hay Institution for Girls are encouraged to come forward. The abuse began during…
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The Queensland Government has taken the first steps to remove a time limit that has prevented thousands of child abuse survivors from suing for damages. Currently, the statute of limitations in Queensland means that child…
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St Vincent’s Orphanage routine abuse straight from Dark Ages The Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse has heard damning evidence about the abuse of children at the Sisters of Mercy-run St Vincent’s Orphanage at Neerkol,…
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Shocking allegations of brutal sexual and physical abuse were heard as the Child Abuse Royal Commission focused its attention on the Parramatta Girls Training School and The Hay Institution for Girls. Allegations of abuse spanning…
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Sporting clubs’ responses to child sexual abuse allegations are this month coming under the scrutiny of the Child Abuse Royal Commission, which has heard stories of horrific child sexual abuse by sports coaches. The Commission…
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Child abuse survivors were enraged this month by Justice Peter McClellan’s decision to allow Cardinal George Pell to give evidence to the Royal Commission via video link. Pell’s $20,000-a-day lawyer had argued vigorously that his…
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Pell’s Royal Commission appearance postponed and Jehovah’s Witnesses rebuked for inaction. Cardinal George Pell’s much anticipated appearance in the witness box at the Child Abuse Royal Commission this month has been postponed. The Royal Commission…
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Doveton parish priest Father Peter Searson molested children in the confessional, and sexually abused a nine-year-old altar boy every Saturday for six months. Searson paid the boy a pittance to do chores around his home,…
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