27 October 2021

Elise Archer, Attorney-General

Government continuing to progress Royal Commission recommendations

The Tasmanian Government remains committed to better protecting our children, and the final report released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is helping to shape future reforms to achieve this.

There were over 400 recommendations outlined in the final report and, in our response, we accepted or accepted in principle all recommendations that required action from our State.

Of these 307 recommendations, 198 have been substantially or fully implemented, and we are progressing the remainder as expeditiously as possible.

It’s important to note there were a very significant number of recommendations, a lot of which are complex and require significant work. We must and are ensuring they are done right, as they are too important to rush.

Tasmania also releases a Progress Report every year outlining where we’re up to with the reforms, and we continue to build on those commitments throughout each reporting period.

We have progressed a number of significant projects, including but not limited to;

• implementing a three year Pilot Intermediary Scheme to support Tasmania Police and Tasmanian courts and improve access to justice for children and vulnerable adults;
• introducing legislation to create new laws which strengthen criminal responses to child sexual abuse (including a new crime of failing to report a child abuse offence);
• removing limitation periods for civil litigation relating to child abuse claims;
• delivering a state-wide therapeutic program for children and young people engaging in problematic and harmful sexual behaviours through the Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS), as part of the Safe Homes, Families, Communities – Tasmania’s action plan for family and sexual violence 2019-2022.;
• introducing legislation that removed outdated terminology for sexual offending in the Criminal Code Act 1924. These reforms were undertaken in response to community concerns and are an important step in recognising the realities of child sexual abuse; and
• releasing a draft Bill for consultation representing the first step towards establishing a framework for Child Safe Organisations in Tasmania incorporating the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Royal Commission’s Child Safe Standards.

• progressing nationally consistent legislative amendments to tendency and coincidence laws;
• implementing a legislative Child Safe Organisations framework;
• finalising the implementation of Tasmanian Standards for Children and Young People in out of home care.

A further Progress Report will be released before the end of the year.

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