All articles related to personal Injury sexual abuse.
References for the Devil
When do you draw the line on your personal ethical stand for the protection of children. On the 23 February of this year, in the Sydney Morning Herald reporter Michael Koziol wrote about the concerning issue regarding Stephen Russell, past Headmaster of St Kevin’s College in Melbourne. Mr Russell had provided a character reference for Peter Kehoe, a coach at St Kevin’s, who was convicted...
Abuse in Australian Defence Force
Claims for Abuse in Australian Defence Force The Royal Commission in the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (‘Royal Commission’) address a number of institutions in society where sadly incidences of sexual and serious physical abuse have been prevalent for many years. The Royal Commission heard evidence in relation to a limited number of reported incidents of sexual and physical abuse in a small sample of...
Average Abuse Report Time – 20 Years
The average time to report abuse is 20 years, so how much time do you actually have to lodge a claim? For over 300 years there has been a time limit imposed on anyone who wanted to take action in a court to enforce their legal rights. There are sound reasons to have time limits. People need to have certainty in how they conduct their...
National Redress Scheme
Is the National Redress Scheme Working for Victims of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse? At this point in time the answer is quite possibly no. It was reported by Miki Perkins, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, that at least 10 applicants for the Redress Scheme sadly passed away before they were paid as they were not processed in time. The backlog appears to remain, and many...
No One is Above the Law
No One is Above the Law: Catholic Priests face Fines or Imprisonment if they do not report their knowledge of the abuse of a child as related to them in the act of Confession The Royal Commission into Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard extensive evidence of shocking historical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church over a five year period between 2013 and 2017. In 2017...
Where Evil Resides, Evil Acts
Where Evil Resides, Evil Acts People often ask us if the church or posh schools are the only institutions we act against in matters of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. The answer is a definitive “No!” In today's’ Sydney Morning Herald we have read an article by their crimes reporter, Sally Rawsthorne, about the allegations of sexual acts with a twelve year old child, laid against Raymond...
Reopening Settled Abuse Claims
I Settled My Abuse Claim - Can I Re-Open It? The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse brought these matters to the forefront of public knowledge and understanding. For the many people who lived with the consequences of that abuse the fight has often been going on for many years. Many people who suffered made claims for compensation. Many of these claims were settled before the...
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in a snapshot: 4,029 survivors of child sexual abuse gave evidence to the Royal Commission in private sessions into abuse in religious institutions 294 gave evidence about abuse in Salvation Army institutions (7.3%) Of those 73.1% were male and 26.9% were female. Average age at the time they were first abused – 10.3 years...
Salvation Army Boys Homes
The Salvation Army Boys Homes in New South Wales and Queensland The Salvation Army operations in Australia are divided in those of the Eastern Territory (Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT) and the Southern Territory (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory). Additionally, the Salvation Army has long maintained a respected position in Australian society. As a charity and a church it engages...
What is a Destroyed Life Worth
What is a life Destroyed by Institutional Sexual Abuse of a Child Worth? What goes on behind the scenes in an Institutional Child Sexual Abuse matter? Plenty! It has recently been reported in The Age that a “Landmark” settlement of approximately $3 Million inclusive of costs had been achieved against the Catholic Church for abuses perpetrated against a child in the confessional by serial paedophile priest...
Institutional Child Sexual Abuse
Institutional Child Sexual Abuse: Betrayal at the Hands of Those We Trusted In another sad tale of abused children at the hands of trusted adults, swim instructor, Paul Frost, is currently under investigation for the grooming, indecent assault and aggravated sexual assault perpetrated against children between 1997 and 2009. Sometimes the hardest part for victims can be that people holding the position of teacher or instructor,...
George Pell Stays Where He Belongs
George Pell Stays Where He Belongs and Victims March On Make no mistake, the Appeal denial regarding the sentencing of George Pell has been a landmark decision for victims of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse everywhere. No matter who or where they are, the law is getting stronger and stronger to take perpetrators to justice. At Koffels we are truly relieved and encouraged by the judgement set...
Pell Appeal
The Victorian Court of Appeal has today upheld on appeal Cardinal George Pell’s convictions for sexually abusing two then 13-year-old boys. Cardinal George Pell's appeal failed. On 11 December 2018, Cardinal George Pell was convicted unanimously by a jury of 12 men and women in the County Court of Victoria of five charges of sexual offending against two young choir boys in 1996 at St...
Call for Witnesses – The Scots College
"CALL FOR WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD” The Scots College PH: 02 9283 5599 John Beckett John Beckett (“Beckett”) was a long-standing and respected teacher at The Scots College. He was appointed as a mathematics teacher in 1974 and taught at the school from 1974 until 1999. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s he was involved in the many facets of school life including pastoral care and extracurricular activities....
