Benton Legal

Finally, there is a vague reference to a Catholic-wide redress scheme. How do survivors know whether to wait for that scheme to see if their offer would improve? Offers now should be made subject to a potential top-up if the Catholic-wide scheme leads to a better outcome.

There are some real improvements, including increase of quantum and considering claims that don't fall within A Path to Healing. Most significantly, an average payment of $50,000 for sexual abuse. This is still nowhere near the amounts the Royal Commission recommended, however.

Yesterday, the NZ Marist Brothers made a formal public apology to survivors of abuse - scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2605… The apology was boycotted by a number of survivors and advocates - rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and…

It is good that they are finally acknowledging the need to cover legal fees as well, although what that looks like in practice remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see if the Marist Brothers will be more open to accepting claims it has previously rejected.

I have specialised in abuse redress claims for 14 years and the Marist Brothers have always had one of the worst responses of any organisation, both in terms of rejecting valid claims and in the settlement offers themselves.

ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/ombudsman… Ombudsman publishes findings on Ministry of Education sensitive claims scheme - parts of the scheme are unreasonable. “It has taken far too long to process claims and there have been unjustifiable delays before the Ministry published information...”

MSD not following its own policy in three abuse in care cases court rules rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and…

waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360992… Rosslyn Noonan, former Chief Human Rights Commissioner: "senior officials in the MSD, Oranga Tamariki, education, health and justice... refused to acknowledge the widespread abuse of children and vulnerable adults in care when survivors came forward..."

A fourteenth arrest has been made under Operation Beverly, the investigation into historical sexual offending at Dilworth School. police.govt.nz/news/release/o…

Marist Brothers abuse apology an ‘insult’ without compensation for Pacific survivors, says advocate. thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360979…