This is the Australian Government’s third annual progress report to show how they have implemented the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care interim report – Tāwharautia: Pūrongo o te Wā (Tāwharautia) describes the key themes and common issues from the experiences shared by survivors and witnesses.

The data in relation to the Archdiocese was presented in the form of a data analysis report prepared by the Royal Commission from the data produced by the Catholic Church authorities. The report was tendered in the public hearing and aspects of the report are set out in Appendix C.

At the time of the public hearing some clergy and religious who were considered in the case study were the subject of criminal investigations or charges. Where the Royal Commission considered it appropriate to do so, those individuals were given a pseudonym so as not to interfere with those criminal matters.

The establishment of the National Redress Scheme in 2018 has made a symbolic and practical contribution to the pursuit of justice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. However, as this interim report demonstrates, much more needs to be done to improve the experience of survivors when seeking redress through the scheme.