National Redress Scheme

Baptist Churches of South Australia and the Northern Territory is a participating institution in the National Redress Scheme.

The vision of the Baptist Churches of South Australia and the Northern Territory is to be a movement of local churches thriving in Jesus, transforming the world. Part of our mission and commitment to build healthy churches is to ensure our churches are safe places.

BCSANT is committed to responding as sensitively and pastorally as possible, and as quickly as possible, to any notification to it of abuse which involves, or potentially involves, BCSANT, its member churches, or any agency of BCSANT. 

Throughout the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, it became apparent that many people spoke up and reported to an institutional abuser, but were sadly dismissed, ignored, or mistreated. 

In 2015, the Royal Commission issued a ‘Redress and Civil Litigation’ report which included recommendations for the establishment of a National Redress Scheme. The aim of the National Redress Scheme is to provide justice for victims: 

“A process for redress must provide equal access and equal treatment for survivors –regardless of the location, operator, type, continued existence or assets of the institution in which they were abused – if it is to be regarded by survivors as being capable of delivering justice.” 

The Federal government was empowered by the State governments to administer a National Redress Scheme (the Scheme) to allow people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse to seek redress. The scheme began on 1 July 2018, and will operate for 10 years. 

As we reflected on the concept of the National Scheme, the model, our Baptist context and our societal context, the Australian Baptist Ministries National Council, at its meeting of 16 May 2018 agreed that Australian Baptists should opt in to the scheme. It resolved: 

“That the model for the National Redress Scheme be that each state, territory and affiliated agency opt in individually. The National Council urges each state, territory and affiliated agency to undertake all steps necessary through their own governance processes to opt in the National Redress Scheme.” 

The then member churches of Baptist Churches SA joined the National Redress Scheme in May 2019, and the then member churches of the Baptist Union NT in December 2019. 

If you have any queries regarding the participation of Baptist Churches of South Australia and the Northern Territory Inc. in the National Redress Scheme, please email [email protected] or call 08 8357 1755.

For more information about the National Redress Scheme, visit nationalredress.gov.au or call the National Redress Scheme line on 1800 737 377.

Statement of SA joining the National Redress Scheme.

Statement of NT joining the National Redress Scheme.