Redress means making things right. Nothing can completely make right the harm that was done to survivors of abuse in care. Redress is about taking meaningful steps towards this goal.
These steps can include:
Find out how to make a claim for redress and when it is possible for whānau to continue your claim if you die before it is settled.
This topic may bring up a range of emotions. We have some suggestions of help and support that is available to you.
If the abuser is still living, you might want action to be taken to bring them to justice and to protect other people from them.
If the abuser still works for or is responsible to an organisation, you could ask the organisation to:
The Police will generally only bring a case to court if they have enough evidence. It might be difficult to provide enough evidence if the abuse happened a long time ago.
For people who choose to make a claim, this can be a challenging process. Learn where you can find support to help with making a claim.
Some organisations have their own redress schemes. For example, the MSD Historic Claims scheme.
Find out about the redress schemes
You can make a claim with ACC if you have a physical or mental injury resulting from abuse while in the care or guardianship of a government, faith-based or other organisation.
You may be able to get support and/or compensation from ACC even if you are using a redress scheme.
You may be able to sue the organisation for damages, even if you have used a redress scheme.
You may also have reasons not to make a claim. For example, some survivors found the claims process difficult and / or re-traumatising.
Alternatives to making a claim for redress include sharing your experiences with Survivor Experiences Service.
Whether you decide to make a claim or not, your reason for your decision is a valid one.
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