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Child Abuse Lawyers

Overview

Child abuse cases

If you’re searching for legal assistance in a child abuse case, contact a child abuse lawyer at Gerard Malouf & Partners at any time for a no-obligation, confidential consultation either in person or over the phone. 

The law has zero-tolerance for child abuse. 

Those who experience sexual assault or child abuse before the age of 15 are only 13% likely to report to the police or contact a lawyer according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And, a majority of those who commit the crimes are close family members, which may contribute to the fear some victims have about coming forward. 

We are here to help support you in your journey to find justice, closure and a way to move forward.

Process

Child abuse compensation lawyers

Dealing with the legal matters of child abuse law can feel empowering and healing. However, as you approach the process and realise the types of entities you need to face, the application process and what is necessary to come to a resolution, you may find that hiring a law professional is helpful. 

Your lawyer can help you navigate through the hardship of your childhood and take care of the details as you heal. The process involves talking about your experience, gathering supporting information and confronting the people or institutions that put you in harm’s way. 

The Australian Reform Commission (ABS) notes that “Parents, caregivers and those with parental responsibility have a duty, at law, to provide children in their care with the ‘necessities of life’, which includes providing financial support, food, clothing, accommodation, healthcare and access to education… Parents and caregivers also have a duty to protect children in their care from harm, including the harm that is caused as a result of abuse or neglect.” 

When this duty of care is breached, and the parent or guardian does not care for the child they have a responsibility to, this is considered abuse. 

More specifically, here are examples of child abuse that you can make a claim for and an explanation for each:

  • Neglect: Briefly outlined in the quote from ABS, neglect occurs when a guardian or parent does not provide a child with the necessary and basic needs to survive. Parents accused of neglect or abuse can be charged based on the Crimes Act
  • Physical: Physical abuse is categorised as any non-accidental injury or series of injuries acted on a child or minor by their caregiver and may be referred to as domestic violence. Physical abuse can be anything from extreme discipline to female genitalia mutilation. 
  • Emotional or psychological abuse: Psychological or emotional abuse can happen when a parent or guardian is hypercritical, withholds affection, is exposed to physical or emotional abuse, or threatening behaviour against the child. 
  • Sexual: Sexual abuse cases occur when an adult coerced a child under the age of 16, either through physical or psychological manipulation, to take part in sexual activity such as intercourse, touching or any other activity that could be considered sexual. This could also involve grooming a child for sex. 

 

A verbal or emotional abuse parent could come off as a loving, normal, functioning parent or guardian to other adults. However, the child will likely tell the story of abuse. 

Family violence, child neglect and child endangerment are difficult cases to handle on your own. These are heavy subjects that can cause a lot of emotional distress for an abuse survivor. That’s why 

Gerard Malouf & Partners child abuse claim lawyers are here to support you throughout your class action case.

With these abuse types in mind, let’s take a look at the signs of abuse and how to support the child by seeking help.

Signs of child abuse

Oftentimes, the abuser will not be the one to come forward about their actions against their child. Instead, it is up to the adult child to take action once they are legally able and aware or the community of adults the child is around. 

Teachers, bus drivers, family friends, and so on also have a duty to report signs of abuse if they see a child suffering. Sometimes, however, the violence could be misinterpreted as a basic form of discipline. 

If you are curious about the signs of child abuse to either prepare or help intervene in a suspected abuse situation, here are a few examples to keep your eye on:

  • The caregiver uses violence as a form of punishment or discipline. 
  • The caregiver humiliates the child in front of other people. 
  • The caregiver is too open about their personal sex life or puts the child in emotional support positions that the child is not equipped to handle.
  • The caregiver withholds love or is emotionally manipulative to get what they want from the child.
  • The caregiver’s emotions are unpredictable.
  • The caregiver withholds basic necessities. 
  • The caregiver is extremely critical or says hurtful comments toward the child.

 

Child sexual abuse can be hard to see in everyday interaction between a caregiver and a child, but likely the child will act out sexually with other children if there is abuse present. 

If you are a victim of child abuse, you may not see signs of any damage from the abuse until much later. The impacts of abusive parents can come in the form of cognitive limitations like memory, low self-esteem, rage or eating disorders. 

Seeking help as soon as you see or experience abuse can help you or the child get away from the abuse and into a safe space.

Gerard Malouf & Partners

Gerard Malouf & Partners are the child abuse lawyers you need

Child abuse is against the law. No one is allowed to take away a child’s right to a healthy and supportive childhood. If you are experiencing or suspect that a child near you is going through abuse of any kind, reach out to a family law professional today. 

Gerard Malouf & Partners child abuse lawyers can help support you through the legal process. Anyone can file a claim. Whether you’re adopting a child who has experienced institutional child sexual abuse or a friend looking for ways to support someone experiencing abuse, contact us today. We can help the victim reach justice in family court and win compensation to start a new life without harm.

We're here to help

Contact us for no-obligation legal advice about your claim.

Child Abuse Compensation Claims
Free Resources
Our guide to child and sexual abuse compensation claims

Our comprehensive guide to assist you through the myriad of problems that you may encounter when seeking to pursue legal action.

Frequently Asked Questions

More information about Sexual Assault & Child Abuse compensation

Commonly asked questions concerning institutional sexual and child abuse

A number of religious organisations are currently being investigated in Australia for multiple cases of sexual assault that occurred between their employees/members and people they were meant to be looking after.

Some of them include the Catholic Church, the Uniting Church in Australia, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd, and the the Anglican Church of Australia.

The commission has hit headlines recently due to its work in uncovering child sexual abuse claims against various religious organisations across Australia.

However, it’s not just the church that the agency investigates; all major institutions fall under its remit, including schools, sports clubs and government organisations. The authority explores private, public and non-government bodies that have at any point in time interacted with children.

The Civil Liability Act was enacted in 2002 to ensure that people who were injured had the ability to seek redress through the courts.

The Act applies to a number of circumstances where negligence forms part of the claim. Click below to learn more.

“I just wanted to thank you...You made an extremely hard day easier both for me and my daughter! We both felt very comfortable with you, and appreciate that you understood how hard it was and helped us be more at ease."


Our Client
Our Team

Meet the Child Abuse Compensation Claim team​

Meet some of the diverse and dynamic compensation lawyers that support our clients with institutional sexual and child abuse claims.

We're here to help maximise your compensation

Call us now on 1800 004 878 to book a free appointment with one of our compensation experts, or make an enquiry online now.

Gerard Malouf
About Us
Gerard Malouf & Partners have provided friendly, experienced legal advice to communities across Australia for over 35 years. Our Personal Injury Lawyers have taken on ten’s of thousands of cases and we are proud to have won billions of dollars for our clients.
Lawyers
Meet the diverse and dynamic team of compensation lawyers and supporting staff that have made this all happen below. Our multi-lingual team can discuss your claims in Arabic, Assyrian, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Armenian, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi or Malayalam.
Resources
Meet the diverse and dynamic team of compensation lawyers and supporting staff that have made this all happen below. Our multi-lingual team can discuss your claims in Arabic, Assyrian, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Armenian, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi or Malayalam.

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