MK forum

PRACTICE GUIDELINE 3
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR PROVIDING A STATEMENT OR INFORMATION TO THE ROYAL
COMMISSION

1. This Practice Guideline is addressed to those who wish to provide information to the Royal Commission.

2. You may not know all the answers to these questions. If you don’t know the answer, it would be helpful to put in your statement or tell us that you don’t know.

GUIDE QUESTIONS
Details of the person providing the information
3. Name (unless you wish to remain anonymous).
4.
5. Contact details (unless you do not wish to give any contact details).

6. You may be giving information on behalf of or about someone else. If so, your relationship to the person whose experiences you are describing.
Details about what happened
7. The name of the institution(s) where you were abused.

8. Over what period of time did the abuse occur?

9. Where, including in which city or town and which State, did the abuse occur?

10. A summary of what happened.

11. The names of anyone else who saw what happened (if known).
What happened afterwards
12. Did you tell anyone, if so who and when?

13. If you told a person from the institution:
a. what did you tell them?
b. who did you tell (name and position of that person, if known)?
c. when did you tell them?
d. whether you said it or put it in writing. If in writing, did you keep a copy and if so, do you still have a copy of it?
14. What was the initial response from the institution to having been told?

15. What did the institution do about it, if known?

16. If there was an investigation of the abuse by the institution, how was it conducted, if known?

17. What meetings or other dealings did you have with the institution during its investigation?

18. Did you feel encouraged or discouraged from reporting the abuse?

19. If you did not report for some time, were there reasons for not doing so? If so, what were those reasons?

20. After reporting, were you supported by the institution and if so, how?

21. Did you receive counselling or psychological help? If so, who provided it?

22. Did you receive an apology or an acknowledgment of the abuse you had suffered?

23. Did the institution accept responsibility for what happened?

24. Were there any conditions attached to accepting any help from the institution?

25. How adequate was the support that was offered to you?

26. Were you encouraged or supported to report your abuse to the police?

27. Did you do this and if so, to whom, where, when and what happened?

28. If you did not report to the police, were there reasons for not doing so? If so, what were those reasons?

29. Were there criminal proceedings, and if so did you give evidence, and what was the outcome of those proceedings?

30. What were the consequences for the accused person(s), if known?
Compensation
31. Have you sought compensation and if so, was that through the civil court or some other means?

32. Were there any conditions attached to accepting that compensation, for example that it had to be kept confidential?

33. Was an amount received, and if so, who paid it and how much was it?

34. What is your view of the adequacy of any compensation, either offered or received?

35. How long did it take to receive compensation?

36. Were you satisfied with the process in dealing with the complaint and/or the compensation? If yes or no, please explain.
Suggestions
37. What do you think should have been done differently?

38. What do you think would have made a difference to you at the time?

39. What helped you subsequently?

40. What would help you in the future?
Support
41. What emotional/psychological support have you sought since the abuse?

42. What support are you currently receiving?
43. What further support would be of value to you?
Other matters
44. Have you given the account to another inquiry. If so, which inquiry, whether by written submission or evidence and was that in public or in private?

45. Do you wish that account to be obtained and used as your account to the Royal Commission.

46. Do you want your account to the Royal Commission to be kept private or made public.
Reporting to police
47. Do you want the Royal Commission to forward your complaint to the police?
What do you hope will happen upon telling the Royal Commission of your experience
48. Do you want to be listened to?

49. Do you want the Police to investigate your complaint?

50. Do you want the Royal Commission to understand what happened and to make recommendations to improve the system?

51. Is there any other reason? If so, what is it?


Draft Issued: 28 March 2013

Wow I feel someone really care after just reading the instructions. They seem to have thought of every angle. Wish US would do that. I am sending these on to someone in US who might be able to use them.

Great questions! Thanks for sharing these, Maire!

Thank you for contacting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, on Thursday 4 April 2013.
We note that you would like to provide information relevant to the work of the Commission.

There are two ways in which you can provide information at this stage:

1. In writing:

The Commission has now published ‘Practice Guidelines’ about the fact-finding stage of the Commission’s work. These guidelines provide advice on how people can make submissions and on the type of information the Commissioners are seeking from the public. You may find ‘Practice Guideline 3’ to be especially useful as it has some guiding questions for preparing written submissions. Here is a link to the Practice Guidelines page of the Commission website: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.go ... fault.aspx

Once you have completed your written submission it can be emailed to statements@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au or sent by post to GPO Box 5283, Sydney, NSW, 2001.

2. Over the phone:

You can call the Commission on 1800 099 340 (toll free unless calling from a mobile) between 8:00am and 8:00pm. Our operators will take down preliminary details about the events you wish to tell the Commission about as well as your contact details so that we can contact you again.

The Commission is conscious that, for many people, coming forward and providing information is very difficult. If you call us on the number above, our operators are backed up by experienced counsellors who can help you if you need some support to deal with your emotions or feelings. There are also a range of national and state-based organisations that provide counselling and other assistance to victims of abuse. Some of these are listed on our website at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.go ... fault.aspx

I hope this information has been useful to you.

Yours sincerely,

WOW again!
These people know what they are doing.
And they care.........

Should I get in touch with Tony too???

I have not sent him my story [it is in the drafts folder on my desktop]...

Worth dropping Tony a line and mentioning the international connection to this. Given Tony Abbott is very likely to be the next Prime Minister, he will have the ear of other leaders and you just never know where this could go.

If he can take the time to write personally to an MK who is not an Australian, I think we have a powerful ally who is taking this very seriously, well worth supporting him.

Yes, contact Tony Abbott as he is a Catholic and made a point when the Royal Commission was appointed that he wanted it to include ALL organisations not just the Catholic Church. Full stop.

Hey!! Pamela's back!!

We missed you Pamela!!

Full stop.