Jewish Care Victoria opts-in to National Redress Scheme
Jewish Care Victoria will fully participate in the National Redress Scheme for people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
Mike Debinski
For non-government organisations, such as Jewish Care, opting-in to the Scheme is voluntary and without legal obligation.
“Our decision is consistent with Jewish Care’s long-held belief that victims of child sexual abuse should have access to reparation through structured redress schemes,” said President of Jewish Care Victoria, Mike Debinski. “We welcome the Victorian Government’s decision to join the National Redress Scheme.”
Jewish Care launched its own redress scheme in 2013, one of the first organisations in Victoria to do so. The Children in Residential Care Support Schemeprovided redress and access to counselling and support services to individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse at a predecessor organisation.
“In 2013, we took a strong position on institutional child sexual abuse,” Mr Debinski said. “Jewish Care believes it has a moral obligation to support members of the community who were victims of sexual abuse. We are opting-in to the National Redress Scheme because it is the right thing to do.”
The Scheme, which will run for 10 years beginning on 1 July 2018, is designed to acknowledge harm and provide support to those who experienced sexual abuse in an institutional setting. The needs of eligible victims will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may include access to psychological counselling, direct response from the organisation involved and/or a monetary payment
