The West Australian Government has announced a $114m compensation program for children abused while in state care.
Premier Alan Carpenter estimates 9000 to 10,000 people may be eligible for payments under the scheme, including members of the stolen generation, migrant children and children placed into foster care or state institutions prior to March 2006.
People have one year from May next year to apply for compensation.
Victims of abuse or neglect would receive an ex-gratia payment of up to $10,000, or up to $80,000 if there was evidence they suffered physical or psychological harm.
They would also receive an official apology from the state government, but would no longer be able to pursue civil litigation against the state through the court.
Mr Carpenter today apologised to all children who had been abused while in state care.
"To those people who were abused as children through the stolen generation, through child migrant schemes and through a failure of the state to protect them as children in care, we unreservedly apologise to them and hope we can, through this method, seek to re-address some of the pain they have suffered," the Premier said.
The WA Parliament has previously apologised to members of the stolen generation.
Source: NewsCom.Au
Comment:
This news follows on from news that the man announced as Tasmania's commissioner for children has withdrawn from the job amid allegations of physical abuse at a boys' home.
Dennis Daniels's appointment as interim commissioner was announced by Human Services Minister Lara Giddings on Wednesday, but on Thursday night, the former senior bureaucrat withdrew from the job.
The Weekend Australian has obtained a statutory declaration by a former resident of Wybra Hall boys' home alleging Mr Daniels was "one of the principal perpetrators of physical abuse against the boys" in the early 1960s......
...... descriptions of abuse are supported by the 2004 findings of the Tasmanian Ombudsman, who took evidence in camera from 46 men who alleged they had been abused as boys at Wybra.
The Ombudsman's report, which did not mention names of alleged victims or offenders, found many witnesses remembered boys being "commonly" forced to fight one another as punishment, while those who refused were beaten by staff.
Opposition parties questioned Ms Giddings's judgment and the apparent failure to cross-match applicants for commissioner with the Ombudsman's investigation into child abuse.
Ms Giddings apologised to abuse victims but warned against "trial by media" of Mr Daniels. "I understand the distress of victims of child abuse, and I am very sorry that they have been caused further distress," she said.
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