Tag: Redress

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A Day of Lament

A Day of Lament, in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will be held on Saturday 9 December, 3.30pm, at McCallum Park in Victoria Park, Perth.

The event has been organised by an ecumenical group of lay Christians, who lament the fact that there has been so much silence on this issue. They also acknowledge the pain of survivors, apologise, pray for healing and commit to
justice for survivors.

Dr Alison Atkinson-Phillips, member of Victoria Park and Districts Star St Uniting Church, is on the organising committee for this event. She said the service is a response from members of the Christian church.

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Uniting Church in Australia at the Royal Commission

The president of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, has issued a pastoral statement to the church. On Friday 10 March, the Uniting Church in Australia will appear at a public hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse.

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A welcome response on redress

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, has welcomed the Redress and Civil Litigation Report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“We are pleased that the Royal Commission’s Report recommends that a process for redress must provide equal access and equal treatment for survivors,” said Stuart.

“We strongly support the Report’s recommendation for a single national scheme to meet the needs of survivors.

“Equality of access and a single national scheme are elements we raised in our own submissions to the Royal Commission and we hope that Federal and State Governments take these recommendations on board in their consideration of the Report.”

The Redress and Civil Litigation Report outlines key recommendations for institutions and governments to address and alleviate the impact of past and future child sexual abuse.

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Assembly updated on Royal Commission

The Assembly Standing Committee has been authorised, by members of the 14th Triennial Assembly, to make changes to regulations in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional  Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Rev Allan Thompson, the executive officer of the Uniting Church National Task Group on Engagement with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses  to Child Sexual Abuse, spoke about the Commission, the Task Group’s report and the proposal relating to it.

“The Commission has been both necessary and helpful for Australia, and necessary and helpful for the Church,” said Allan.

He said that there has been an increase in awareness of incidences of abuse as a result of the Commission. Churches have also been forced to learn from the past to improve the safety of children in the care of the church into the future.

“If the Commission has been good for the consciousness and the conscience to continue for the nation it has also been good for the church, for abuse did occur in some of our agencies, schools and communities of faith.

“As soon as the Royal Commission was announced the Standing Committee established the task group, and asked synods to do the same. All synods responded and had the same terms of reference,” he continued. “The Uniting Church must be a safe place for children.”

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Royal Commission: Uniting Church tasks and responsibilities

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is well and truly underway. Since it was established on 11 January 2013, the Royal Commission has used a number of  means to access the information it requires to carry out its tasks.

These include:

  • Releasing issues papers on topics of interest to its work and recommendations, to allow organisations and individuals an opportunity to provide their opinions and expertise.
  • Holding private sessions that allow survivors to speak directly with a Commissioner about their experiences.
  • Holding formal public hearings to hear evidence about child sexual abuse within institutions. These hearings do not focus on individual cases, but instead focus on case studies of how institutions have responded to allegations and proven instances of child sexual abuse.
  • Holding roundtables to consider what institutions and governments should do to better protect children against child sexual abuse.

The Uniting Church in Australia issued a Values Statement, which said, “…we will not hide from the truth, however painful that may be, and will seek, with compassion and humility, to address  whatever issues and challenges may emerge for us. We will say sorry to anyone who was sexually abused when in our care and, in consultation with those so affected, actively seek ways to make  amends for what happened in the past and identify how we can best offer support into the future.”

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