The scheme set up to help people sexually abused as children in Australian institutions must be overhauled to ensure justice for survivors, a federal parliamentary committee says.
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The committee wants institutions penalised, as well as named and shamed, if they fail to sign up to the $3.8 billion national redress scheme and the maximum compensation payment to survivors increased.
"The report has found that, as it currently operates, the redress scheme is at serious risk of not delivering on its objective of providing justice to survivors," it said.
The joint select committee, survivors and victims' advocates want the scheme overhauled so it reflects all of the recommendations of the child abuse royal commission.
The substantive legislative and policy changes would require the support of the federal, state and territory governments.
"The committee has concluded that without legislative change the scheme may never be properly accepted by survivors as a fair scheme and a real alternative to litigation."
In its report released late Tuesday night, the committee said more needed to be done to pressure non-participating institutions to join the scheme.
Committee chair Senator Derryn Hinch says the government used the budget to rush the report through the upper house.
"They've jammed this through for the Senate," he told ABC.
"We didn't have time for the chairman of the committee to even comment on the short comings and what we thought was wrong."
The federal government has publicly identified institutions named in the royal commission that have not yet signed up to the scheme, but the committee argued that is not, by itself, sufficient.
"Institutions that refuse to recognise their role in the abuses that occurred and to accept responsibility for their actions should be subject to clear penalties, which could include the suspension of tax concessions and the withdrawal of their charitable status," the report said.
The committee recommended the Commonwealth, state and territory governments agree to increase the maximum redress payment from $150,000 to the $200,000 cap recommended by the royal commission.
It also wants "wholly inadequate" amounts for counselling addressed so survivors have life-long access to the services, and changes to the framework for assessing redress applications.
"Significant changes to the scheme cannot wait - they must be made now," the report said.
About 60,000 survivors of child sexual abuse in Australian institutions are eligible for redress under the scheme that began last July.
More than 3300 applications have been received, but survivors cannot obtain redress unless the institution responsible for their abuse joins the scheme.
So far 115 redress payments have been made, with the average amount being $81,346, the latest available data shows.
- AAP
