Child abuse victims may get compensation
12:15 AEDT Thu Nov 25 2004

An independent assessor will determine whether more than 170 people who were allegedly abused as children while in Tasmanian state care should be paid compensation of up to $60,000.

Deputy Premier David Llewellyn revealed that more than 170 case files had been referred to the assessor, Peter Cranswick, as he tabled in parliament a review by the state ombudsman of claims of abuse of children in state care.

Ombudsman Jan O'Grady's review, Listen to the Children, looked at 247 claims of abuse in foster care and institutions run by the state and churches, some dating back 50 years.

Ms O'Grady said it was disturbing 12 young adults had claimed they were subject to abuse since 1990 - in one case, as recently as 1998.

Nine of the claims relate to foster care homes, and eight of the alleged victims are young women.

Ms O'Grady recommended that the claims should be investigated by the commissioner for children.

"There have been a couple of occasions where I have sat down and wept," she told ABC radio.

"Children, little children of five, put into care and not allowed to talk to their big brother or sister because it was good for the character. That sort of thing cracked me up, let alone the serious abuses.

"Little boys who were prone to sexual abuse night after night. I can hardly begin to imagine how they felt."

One of the victims told the ABC of the physical abuse he experienced in a Tasmanian orphanage in the 1950s. "You was constantly made (to) work and when you wasn't working you would be physically beaten with canes and placed in secure rooms for days on end," he said.

The man was subsequently abused in a foster home, where he said he was raped every second day.

A total of 364 adults made contact with the review team and 247 claims were accepted for assessment.

After extensive research, 33 cases were referred to police.

Three have been prosecuted and two offenders have been convicted, while seven others are still under active investigation.

But a number of other alleged victims refused to take further action because they did not want to appear in court.

Eighty-six of the cases were at least 25 years ago, and only 14 per cent involved abuse since 1980.

Ms O'Grady made 11 recommendations to the state government including:

* The allocation of funds to a private educational trust fund to help adults who have been victims of child abuse in state care to upgrade or continue their studies, possibly in conjunction with church authorities.

* An apology be sought from churches for people who allege they were abused while in approved children's homes run by the churches. The ombudsman rejected calls for a full commission of inquiry into child abuse, saying the cost could not be justified by the possible results.

"It is my view that it would be more effective to continue the existing process and to apply additional resources into strengthening both the present child protection system and services for victims," she said.

"However, that decision should be reconsidered if the investigation if by the commissioner for children into the 12 more recent cases reveals significant systemic shortcomings."

Mr Llewellyn said the government would respond formally to the ombudsman's recommendations early in the new year.

"The state government views abuse of children extremely seriously and we have established a comprehensive process to both examine complaints and support victims," he said.

Priviously published: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=23444