Royal Commission Support Service

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was established by the Australian Government in January 2013.

The Royal Commission will inquire into how institutions with a responsibility for children have dealt with sexual abuse that happened to children in their care. ‘Institutions’ include churches and religious organisations, schools, organisations providing live-in care for children such as foster care and orphanages, community services, government agencies, and sporting organisations.

The Royal Commission will investigate where institutions have failed to protect children and make recommendations on how to improve laws and practices to prevent child sexual abuse in institutions in future, and how best to look after victims of child sexual abuse. The Royal Commission will look at both historical and recent instances of child sexual abuse.

The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, along with other organisations that work with survivors of sexual assault, has been funded by the Australian Department of Social Services to provide Royal Commission Community-Based Support Services. This means we can help you to:

• find out more about the Royal Commission, including what to expect if you make a submission,

• contact and engage with the Royal Commission,

• prepare and write a submission or statement,

• attend the Royal Commission and make a private or public statement,

• access interpreting and cultural translation services,

• access other support services.

The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre can provide counselling and support, as part of our usual services to anyone engaging with, or thinking about engaging with, the Royal Commission.

We offer support for engaging with the Royal Commission independently of any other service we provide. You do not have to receive counselling or any other support from us to be able to get support for engaging with the Royal Commission. We will provide both Royal Commission support and, if you need it, counselling and advocacy support, to:

• survivors of child sexual abuse in an institutional setting,

• anyone who witnessed child sexual abuse in an institutional setting,

• anyone who reported or was a “whistle blower” in relation to child sexual abuse in an institutional setting,

• employees or associates of an institution where abuse took place,

• perpetrators of child sexual abuse in an institutional setting,

• family members, partners, or other supporters of any of these.