Personal Injury
Sexual Abuse Lawyers

We are experienced in bringing claims for sexual abuse victims against individuals and institutions/organisations, including:

• Religious organisations including the Catholic Church (and their religious orders), the Uniting Church and the Anglican Church
• Government departments and facilities, such as the Department of Community Services and the Department of Corrective Services
• Educational institutions including public and private schools and boarding schools
• Health and other professionals, such as doctors, counsellors (psychiatrists and psychologists) and teachers; and
• Individuals

The evidence and the way in which sexual abuse is proved will depend on the cause of action and the potential defendant.

When suing an institution, for example, we must establish negligence per the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). We would look at evidence about what the institution knew or ought to have known about the perpetrator’s actions. This would involve an inquiry into matters such as any previous incidents involving the perpetrator and the perpetrator’s criminal background.

Proving a claim against an individual where negligence is not involved involves a different course of action. Evidence such as police reports, medical reports and counselling records would be of assistance in such a case.

Our expert lawyers will advise you on the evidence required to prove abuse.

Yes, we have extensive experience suing individual and professional perpetrators.

An important aspect that we will advise you on is whether that individual or professional has sufficient means to satisfy a judgment against them.

We act on no win, no fee basis. This means that there is no cost and no obligation to you if you do not proceed with your sexual abuse claim and/or ultimately do not achieve a compensation verdict.

Our lawyers will provide you with a detailed cost disclosure in the event that you decide to proceed. This is in the form of a cost agreement, which is provided after the initial consultation. During the initial consultation, our lawyers will provide you with a clear explanation for how legal costs are calculated and the circumstances in which the Defendant will cover those legal costs. They will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Before talking to our sexual abuse lawyers, many of our adult clients who were subjected to sexual abuse during their childhood thought it was too late to make a claim for compensation.

The normal expiry date for personal injury claims is 3 years. However, if you were sexually abused as a child, there is no time limit to bring a compensation claim. This change in the law occurred in 2016 and is retrospective. This means that if you were sexually abused as a child, you are not time barred from bringing a claim no matter when the abuse occurred. The only condition is that you were abused before you turned eighteen.

The legislation that abolished the time limit for victims of childhood abuse also applies to previously time barred claims. As a result, if you have tried to claim compensation for childhood sexual abuse before but have been told by lawyers or a judge that you were out of time, you can bring your claim again. This does not at present allow victims who have settled their cases or been awarded compensation/damages by a Court to bring a further claim. Our lawyers are presently involved with the Law Society in making recommendations to change this area of the law. However it does remove the limitation period for unresolved cases, which was often a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Alexander Morrison, Practice Group Leader, handles the majority of sexual abuse claims at Stacks Goudkamp. Alexander is assisted by Megan Sault, Associate.

Alex and Megan are compassionate and knowledgeable lawyers. They have successfully acted for numerous sexual abuse victims in the past.

For more information, and to arrange a free, no-obligation assessment of your claim, please contact Alexander or Megan on 02 9237 2222 or alternatively, make an online enquiry.