From 2013 to 2017, there was a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse in institutions. These institutions were places where a lot of children were forced to live together, such as:
- Kew Children’s Cottages
- Pleasant Creek Special School
- Mackillop Family Services
The Royal Commission was a large and formal investigation. It looked into what happened to children who were abused. A lot of children who were abused had intellectual disabilities. One of the outcomes of the investigation was the National Redress Scheme.
This scheme is to help people who have experienced abuse as a child and want support. Some people will get money from the Redress Scheme.
You can apply to join the scheme. After the Government has gone through your application, the Scheme can offer you 3 things:
- Counselling
- A payment
- A direct personal response
You can ask someone to help you talk to the institution to get the personal response you want. You might ask a:
- family member
- friend
- support worker
- redress support worker
- advocate
There is free legal assistance to help you with your application.
You can find out more and get help by calling 1800 737 377 or by visiting the website Home | National Redress Scheme