The Victorian government has announced a redress scheme for those who suffered abuse and neglect as children in institutional care.
Developed in consultation with abuse survivors and their support agencies, the plan was announced on Friday by Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn for Victorians who experienced physical, psychological, or emotional abuse or neglect in orphanages, children's homes, and missions before 1990.
More than 90,000 children were placed in institutional care in Victoria before 1990, with many experiencing harm, as well as continuing to carry that trauma and grief with them as adults.
The ongoing trauma of this has led to poverty and homelessness for many.
Earlier this year, the Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, formally apologised to Victorians who endured historical abuse and neglect as children in institutional care.
The landmark Bringing them Home Report highlighted how Indigenous children were regularly physically, emotionally, and sexually abused by those who were meant to take care of them in state institutions, as well as missions, foster homes, and other facilities of 'care'.
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) chief executive Aunty Muriel Bamblett said the organisation was proud to work alongside the state government in support of redress for historical institutional abuse.
"This scheme is an integral step towards healing and reminds us of the importance and power of truth telling and saying sorry," Aunty Muriel said.
Writing in The Conversation in 2019, she noted there were an estimated 9,000 Aboriginal survivors of sexual abuse across Australia.
"Not only do Aboriginal survivors experience the trauma of institutional child sexual abuse, if they were part of the Stolen Generations, they also experience the cultural trauma from being forcibly removed from family as children because they were Aboriginal," Aunty Muriel, alongside Margarita Frederico and Carlina Black, wrote.
"These children were denied connection to community, country, spirituality, language and culture."
On Friday, the Alliance for Forgotten Australians Chairperson Caroline Carroll said: "Forgotten Australians or Care Leavers are all ageing and have waited a long time for redress in Victoria."
"Access to redress is another part of a lifelong journey for recognition and healing," she said.
The redress scheme will include payments of $20,000, as well as access to up to 20 counselling sessions and a personal restorative engagement process. This will involve an acknowledgment or apology with responsible institutions.
"Today we acknowledge the physical, psychological and emotional abuse that too many Victorians experienced in institutions before 1990 and take the next steps to redress those wrongs," Minister Blandthorn said.
The redress scheme will build on the support currently available through the National Redress Scheme, set up after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
"We are grateful to everyone who worked with us to design redress – meaning payments to thousands of Victorians are made as quickly as possible," Minister Blandthorn said.
Applications are expected to open in December this year and the government said they will work to ensure payments are processed as soon as possible.
Applications for advance redress payments are still available for eligible Victorians at services.dffh.vic.gov.au/advance-redress-payments, with the government having provided $10,000 advance redress payments to more than 175 people who are terminally or critically ill since November last year.
More information about redress for historical institutional abuse can be found at dffh.vic.gov.au.
13YARN 13 92 76
Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905
Crisis help is also available through Lifeline on 13 11 14
