Government cannot delay when it comes to redress for school abuse survivors [Video]

LEGAL PRESSURE MUST be combined with moral and political pressure to effectively share responsibility for sexual abuse in schools between state and religious organisations. The recent announcement by The Labour Party of draft legislation to ensure a financial contribution from religious organisations to redress comes amid growing interest in whether and how such organisations can be compelled to contribute.

The scoping inquiry into non-recent sexual abuses in schools released last month recommended that the Government consider a redress scheme for survivors and that it ‘approach the relevant religious orders about contributing to a redress scheme.’

In reflecting on these recommendations, the Government is likely to be concerned about the expected significant cost of potential redress. Although all forms and offers of redress are intended to serve as acknowledgement of the harm done to victim-survivors at a minimum, it remains important to provide context about the quantum of similar redress awards, to inform …