Supporting
people with disability
affected by the
Child Sex Abuse Royal
Commission
Introduction to the Royal
Commission
• The Royal Commission into Institutional
Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was
called at the end of 2012.
• It is set up to find out :
– why child sex abuse happens in institutions;
– what the problems are with how institutions
respond to child sex abuse, and
– how to change institutions to stop child sex
abuse from happening.
What counts as an
‘institution’?
Children with disability may have been
sexually abused in mainstream institutions,
like:
– Churches
– Schools
– Hospitals
– Sporting clubs
– Children’s homes
– Orphanages
What counts as an
‘institution’?
Or in ‘specialist’ institutions, like:
– Respite centres
– Day centres/ recreation programs
– Large residential centres/ disability
institutions
– Group homes
– Institutions for people with mental illness
– Special schools/ boarding schools
– Juvenile justice facilities
The Royal Commission
wants to hear your story
• The Royal Commission enables people to
share their experiences in a number of
different ways:
– Written submissions (including
artwork/poetry)
– Recorded interviews (audio)
– Private sessions (with Commissioners)
– Public hearings (with Commissioners, in
public)
The Royal Commission
thus far…
• As of the September 1, the Royal
Commission has:
– Handled 16,110 phone calls
– Received 7,023 letters and emails
– Held 2,266 private sessions
– Issued 865 notices to produce (to
institutions with information related to
allegations)
The Royal Commission
thus far…
• Public hearings (16)
• Roundtables on specific issues (Working
with Children Checks and Preventing sexual
abuse of children in out-or-home care
• Published the Interim Report
• Published 2 research reports (on mandatory
reporting laws and child exploitation
materials )
• Conducting extensive research projects
Supporting people with
disability affected by the Royal
Commission
• We are here to help children and adults
with disability to participate in the Royal
Commission.
• We want to make sure that children and
adults with disability are supported to tell
their stories of child sexual abuse in
institutions, if they want to.
Key Issues
• Children with disability:
– Experience abuse at a rate 3.14 times higher
than their peers (Robinson, 2012);
– Experience sexual abuse at much higher rates
than their peers;
– Are much less likely to disclose abuse.
• Children with disability are more likely to
receive care in specialist and segregated
settings which are associated with higher
risks of sexual abuse.
Barriers to Reporting
• People with disability, including children,
may face many barriers to reporting:
– They may not have adequate support to
report to the police
– They may only be able to report to staff, who
may not respond well
– The police may not be equipped to respond
– They may not be understood as ‘reliable
witnesses’ and so are denied access to legal
justice.
Unique Opportunity
The Royal Commission is a unique opportunity for
people with disability:
– You can tell your story, even if you have already
told someone (including the police, or courts)
– If you don’t remember everything, you can share
what you do remember
– If you need special arrangements to participate,
there is support for you
• All information will be used to try to make
our society safer for all children.
Supporting people with
disability affected by the Royal
Commission
This project is made up of four
parts:
–Individual Advocacy
–Training
–Systemic Advocacy and Policy
–Research
Individual Advocacy
• We are here to ensure that people with
disability affected by the Royal Commission
have access to individual advocacy.
• We can help you through Royal Commission
processes, like:
– Ensuring sessions/hearings are accessible
– Ensuring supports are appropriate and accessible
– Supporting people with decision making
– Supporting people while they wait for a session
Individual Advocacy
• Our Individual Advocates have been fully
trained to support children and adults
with disability affected by the Royal
Commission across Australia.
• Advocates can assist with related issues
– access to services, housing and
discrimination complaints.
• Call 1800 422 015
Training
• Our training packages are key to ensuring
that people with disability, their
supporters and service providers, know
about their sexual and human rights.
• This is part of our Engagement Strategy:
we will be targeting those areas abuse
has been alleged, to ensure that people
with disability can participate in the Royal
Commission if they wish to.
Training - people with
disability
Sexuality and Respectful Relationships
• Equips participants with an in-depth
understanding of their human and sexual
rights,
• helps them to recognise violence and
abuse, and
• supports them in developing strategies
around prevention and response.
Training - Disability
Service Providers
Responding to Sexual Assault
• Equips participants with preventative
approaches to sexual violence, especially
in ensuring best practice preventative
measures and strategies for response.
Training - parents,
families and carers
Supporting Respectful Relationships of
Children and Adults with Disability
• Informs participants about the human
and sexual rights of people with disability
and the supports required for these rights
to be realised.
Training - other Support
Services
Disability Awareness and Confidence
• Raises the disability competence of staff
and the organisation as a whole.
• For mainstream support services,
especially those supporting people
affected by the Royal Commission.
Systemic Advocacy and
Policy
• Submissions to the Royal Commission:
– Child-Safe Institutions
– Segregation
– Sex and Relationships Education
– Access to Justice
– Restrictive Practices
– NDIS – safeguards and quality framework
• Series of focus groups with people with
disability.
Research
In collaboration with the Southern Cross
University we will be investigating what
makes children with disability feel safe
when they receive services.
Outcomes of the research will go directly to
the Royal Commission for inclusion in their
policy work, findings and
recommendations.
Further Information
• http://RCsupport.pwd.org.au
– Sign up for newsletters!
• For Individual Advocacy
– call 1800 422 015; TTY 1800 422 016;
– email: dris@pwd.org.au
• For Training queries
– email: gregr@pwd.org.au
• For Systemic Advocacy, Policy and Research queries
– email: jessc@pwd.org.au
Other key support
services
• There are support services available to
those affected by the Royal Commission
– Sexual Assault Counselling Australia (part of
Rape and Domestic Violence Services
Australia) provide phone and face-to-face
counselling to survivors and supporters
•Call 1800 211 028.
– knowmore provide legal advice, and a range
of other services like counselling.
•Call 1800 605 762