[Greens-Media] Media Release: Savage cuts to more than 20, 000 victims of crime

[David Shoebridge MLC]

*9 May 2013*

*Savage cuts to more than 20,000 victims of crime*



The government has announced that it will be retrospectively cutting the
rights of more than 20,000 victims of crime in a reform of the victims
compensation scheme that removes the concept of compensation from the
scheme and replaces it with arbitrary and, in large measure, token
recognition payments.  The changes will be particularly harsh for victims
of sexual abuse many of whom will lose all entitlements to compensation.



See report in today's SMH here:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/child-sex-abuse-victims-set-to-lose-compensation-20130508-2j83h.html


Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:



“This is terrible blow to thousands of victims of crime, many of who have
been waiting years for compensation, only to be told that overnight their
benefits will be slashed.



“Making these cuts retrospective will deliver harsh and unjust cuts to some
of the most vulnerable people who need support, not attacks, from the State
government.



“It is extraordinary that the government is cutting the rights of victims
of crime in the same week that the child abuse inquiry in the Hunter is
holding its first public hearings.



“One of the most unfair changes proposed is to put in place a strict ten
year time limit in which to bring claims.



“A 2009 report by Professor Patrick Parkinson into sexual abuse claims
against the Anglican Church found the average delay in reporting was 23
years.  If these changes become law then a great many victims of sexual
abuse will be denied any compensation at all.



 “Victims who have followed all the rules and waited patiently for
compensation for their loss will now be subject to another set of
retrospective laws, setting them another step back in their recovery
process.



“Compensation payments were by no means overly generous under the previous
scheme with victims receiving an average of $10,284 and up to a maximum of
$50,000 for the most serious of cases.



“At a time when the Royal Commission into Abuse has raised community
awareness of the need to listen to and compensate victims of crime, the
O’Farrell Government is moving in the opposite direction.



“Whatever may be motivating the government to refocus payments for new
claims, there is no fair reason to retrospectively slash payments for the
more than 20,000 past victims of crime who have already filed
applications,” Mr Shoebridge said.


* *

*Facts:*

As at 28 November 2012 the Auditor General’s
report<http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/News/Volume-Seven-2012-focusing-on-Law--Order-and-Emergency-Services---Media-Release-1>identified
that:



·         21,946 claims had been filed with Victims Compensation but not
finalised.  This is likely to have grown slightly since.


   - ·         More than 68.1 per cent were more than a year old.
   - ·         The average delay was 31 months.
   - ·         The average payment for each claim is only $10,284.

      Further:


   - ·         The average delay in reporting sexual abuse greatly exceeds
   the ten year time limitation in the proposed legislation.
   - ·         A 2009 report into abuse in the Anglican
Church<http://www.anglican.org.au/docs/Study%20of%20Reported%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20in%20the%20Anglican%20Church%20May%202009%20Full%20Report.pdf>found
the average delay in making a complaint of sexual abuse was 23 years.





*Media contact: 9230 3030 / 0408 113 952 *


-- 
*

David Shoebridge

Greens MP in the NSW Legislative Council

P: (02) 0408 113 952|Media: 0433 753 376|T:
@ShoebridgeMLC<http://twitter.com/#%21/shoebridgemlc>

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