Thousands of Queensland survivors of institutional child sexual abuse will be able to access counselling, compensation and a personal response after a redress bill passed the State Parliament with bipartisan support.
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The legislation will allow the National Redress Scheme to operate in Queensland and non-government institutions in the state to opt in and participate.
About 10,000 people who suffered sexual abuse as children in institutions in Queensland were expected to seek redress, with about half of the cases from government institutions.
Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said the government was committed to ensuring people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse in Queensland were acknowledged and had access to the redress they deserved.
"Without this legislation, people who were sexually abused as children in Queensland institutions, including non-government institutions, will not be able to access the National Redress Scheme," Ms Farmer said.
"Redress is about healing, justice and recognising past wrongs. Recognising the harm that people suffered is an important step towards their recovery."
Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee chair Aaron Harper said if the scheme was not established, many people would likely to continue to suffer in silence.
"[They would] perhaps [be] unable to proceed through a costly private civil case, which does place, as we heard, huge and unfair financial burden on families and individuals," he said.
Committee deputy chair Mark McArdle said the bill addressed one of the "great dark sins of our time".
"That is, the issue of child sexual abuse over the decades that has laid hidden and in many cases, ignored and deliberately ignored by institutions right across this nation," he said.
"It is important that we continue to acknowledge the pain and suffering little children endured while they were children and of course the pain they suffer now.
"How many took their own lives, how many are now addicted to both legal and illegal drugs and how many are suffering at this second in time because of what took place all those years ago?"
LNP Communities spokesman Christian Rowan, an addiction medicine specialist, said children who had suffered childhood abuse and neglect were likely to develop substance dependency problems.
"And certainly, I've seen that in my professional experience," Dr Rowan said.
"The sexual abuse of a child is an unthinkable, horrific crime.
"It is a crime perpetrated on the most vulnerable in our society at a time when they must rely on the trust and support of those around them to help guide and nurture them through life."
The federal government passed the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act in June, with the national scheme beginning on July 1, 2018.
The Queensland government's participation in the scheme was expected to begin by late 2018.
Payments will range up to $150,000, assessed by the national scheme operator on a case-by-case basis.
If you need support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au
