Introduction
The National Redress Scheme has been a significant step towards acknowledging harm and providing a pathway to justice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. However, the conclusion of Redress does not mark the end of survivors’ needs, nor the end of society’s responsibilities.
Across this Forum, survivors, advocates, institutions, governments, researchers and service providers have reflected on what comes next. A consistent message has emerged: survivors will continue to seek justice, healing, answers and support long after the National Redress Scheme ends.
This roadmap outlines a survivor-informed agenda for the next decade. It seeks to build on the legacy of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission) and the experience of the National Redress Scheme, drawing on the insights gained from both to address the challenges that remain.
1. Rebalancing Power Through Survivor-Led Justice
For many survivors, justice is not a single pathway. It may involve legal action, acknowledgement, access to records, a direct response from an institution, truth-telling, accountability, or personal healing. Survivors have consistently called for systems that support their choices rather than dictate them.
Key Actions
Ensure survivors can access support and legal assistance and representation as they consider and journey through justice-making processes
Establish additional pathways to justice that recognise abuse occurs in a range of settings, including institutional, familial and peer-to-peer contexts, and that survivors may seek outcomes beyond those available through traditional criminal justice processes
ensure that future generations of survivors are not left behind, and that there will be legal pathways available to them to seek justice and recognition
Continued evaluation and reform of existing legal systems and responses to ensure that they cause no further harm (i.e. continued reform of our criminal legal systems, victims’ of crime schemes etc.)
Embed survivor voices and rights in the design, delivery and evaluation of justice, legal and support systems
Strengthen survivor advocacy and representation so survivor perspectives continue to shape policy and reform
Support institutions to develop and maintain trauma-informed responses to survivors seeking justice, acknowledgement, information, records or redress after the National Redress Scheme ends
2. Justice and Healing Across a Lifetime
Survivors have told us that the impacts of child sexual abuse do not end in childhood. They can emerge and re-emerge throughout life, affecting their health, relationships, parenting, education, employment and ageing. Justice and healing are rarely linear and often require support at different stages of life.
Key Actions
Recognise that the impacts of child sexual abuse can continue across the lifespan and require flexible and ongoing responses
Improve access to counselling, healthcare, peer support, cultural support and healing services at different stages of life
Reduce the impacts of intergenerational trauma through early intervention and lifelong access to justice, healing and support services
Ensure services are available regardless of geography, including in regional, rural and remote communities.
3. Advancing Economic Justice
Survivors have highlighted that the impacts of child sexual abuse are often felt not only emotionally and physically, but economically. Disrupted education, reduced employment opportunities, housing insecurity and financial stress can affect people for decades and limit opportunities throughout life.
Key Actions
Recognise the long-term impacts of child sexual abuse on education, employment, income, housing and retirement outcomes
Improve understanding of the relationship between abuse, disadvantage and economic participation
Strengthen opportunities for education, training, employment and financial security Improve pathways to safe and stable housing
Explore practical initiatives that improve long-term economic wellbeing and reduce accumulated disadvantage.
4. Truth, Identity and Answers
Many survivors continue to seek answers about their lives, experiences and histories. Access to records and information is often fundamental to justice, healing, personal identity and acknowledgement. Institutions also have an ongoing responsibility to preserve records and support truth-seeking long into the future.
Key Actions
Ensure survivors can access records and information about themselves in a timely, transparent and trauma-informed way
Strengthen obligations on institutions to preserve records and maintain accessible pathways for survivors to access, amend or annotate records
Recognise truth, identity and acknowledgement as essential components of justice and healing Develop consistent approaches to record preservation and access across institutions
Preserve the history, experiences and lessons of survivors as part of Australia’s national story so they are not forgotten by future generations.
5. Prevention and Safer Futures
Preventing future abuse is a priority consistently raised by survivors. Many survivors engage in truth-telling and advocacy because they want future generations of children to be safer than they were. Their experiences, insights and leadership must continue to inform efforts to prevent harm and create safer environments for children.
Key Actions
Place survivor lived experience and expertise at the centre of prevention efforts
Strengthen child-safe cultures, governance and accountability across institutions and communities
Improve safeguarding practices and early identification of risk
Invest in initiatives and community awareness campaigns that help children, families and communities recognise and respond to harm
Ensure the lessons of the Royal Commission, redress processes and survivor advocacy continue to drive ongoing improvement in child safety.
6. Sustaining Reform and Accountability
The reforms of the past decade were achieved because survivors insisted that institutions, governments and the broader community confront uncomfortable truths. Maintaining progress will require ongoing leadership, accountability and collaboration. Without sustained focus, there is a risk that hard-won lessons will be lost and momentum for reform will diminish.
Key Actions
Maintain national focus on improving outcomes for survivors beyond the life of individual schemes and programs
Establish transparent and independent mechanisms to monitor progress, identify emerging gaps and support continuous improvement
Support ongoing collaboration between survivors, governments, institutions, researchers and service providers
Continue evaluating reforms and sharing evidence of what works
Ensure lived experience and expertise remains central to future policy development, implementation and review.
7. Addressing Systemic Vulnerability and Over-Representation
A stronger national response must also focus on those children who remain disproportionately exposed to risk. This includes addressing the circumstances and systems that contribute to vulnerability and recognising the links between trauma, institutional contact and lifelong disadvantage.
Key Actions
Urgently address the over-representation of First Nations children and children with disability in out-of-home care, youth justice and other high-risk environments
Improve access to justice, healing and support services for children and young people in out-of-home care, youth justice and custodial settings
Ensure child safety reforms focus on children experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of disadvantage
Support culturally safe and community-led approaches that improve long-term outcomes for children and young people who face a heightened risk of experiencing harm.
Vision
A survivor-informed Australia where survivors can access justice, acknowledgement, healing, support and answers throughout their lives; where power is shared, institutions remain accountable, children are safer, and the wisdom and leadership of survivors continues to shape a more just future.
To arrange an interview, please contact:
Kate Steele | Communications Specialist
Knowmore Legal Service
E: media@knowmore.org.au
Note to journalists: Content relating to childhood sexual abuse may be distressing. Support is available through 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Lifeline (13 11 14).
Knowmore is a community legal centre that provides free, independent legal advice and multidisciplinary support for survivors of child sexual abuse.