Redress and Victims’ Justice Interests

Abstract

As part of the Forde inquiry in Queensland in 1998–99, witnesses were asked, ‘what would you like to see come out of the inquiry’? Replies are listed for 79 individuals (Forde, 1999, appendix 12).¹ When reading them, I was struck that most replies were future oriented, for example:

• That it cannot happen today.

• I don’t want to see any kid go through what I went through.

• A better deal for the kids. Changes in the homes — you know, a better life than what I had.

• I do believe that people need to be trained.

• I’d like to see laws passed that the individual be charged, not being able to hide behind who they work for or institutions they work for.

• One of the ideas I did have was something like … what I would call a preventative unit.

Over 60 per cent of the responses were like this. A smaller number (about 20 per cent) wanted ‘recognition’ of the abuse or ‘the truth’ to be known, for example:

• I’d like to see it all come out in the open.

• It’s just to let everyone know that it did happen.

• Make it clear that these places did exist. People will know that it did happen.