How institutions are fighting abuse victims’ compensation claims | Four Corners

After a groundbreaking royal commission, survivors of church and institutional child abuse expected their fight for justice and compensation would get easier.

But that’s far from the case.

Four Corners has discovered a fierce new battleground: the institutions who were supposed to protect these children are now using extraordinary legal tactics to resist compensation claims or have cases thrown out altogether, usually when the perpetrator of the abuse has died. The organisations say the legal approach is warranted as they are not capable of getting a fair trial.

Abuse victims describe these new strategies as hurtful and re-traumatising.

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