I have read an item which again raised the topic of justice and redress for those abused under the auspices of church. I posted on this previously when a specific falsehood or miscommunication was told to me.
True justice (at least) is needed for victims of child and any sexual abuse.
Consider this one Bible justice example, as Isaiah looks to a better future:
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist (Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV).
A search on "Justice" will bring up many passages.
"Falsehood or miscommunication"? See below. That was old news. Now the current Anglican Bishop of Tasmania has found need to inform people there that hard stuff is coming. This is from the Australian Anglican Tasmania website:
A Pastoral Letter from the Bishop: Redress
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As many of you will know, over the past couple of decades we have been dealing with the sins of historic child sexual abuse that were committed in the Diocese of Tasmania. Sadly many young people became victims of abuse and have suffered terrible personal consequences. We have been determined to provide restorative justice, recognition and support for survivors through the National Redress Scheme and through civil financial settlements.
To date we have made payments to survivors amounting to $20 million. Some of these funds were allocated through the sale of underutilised property in the Diocese that included 50 churches and other properties. Other funds were identified through capital that was supporting some of our ministries, and through a levy on property investments held by parishes.
Recently the Trustees and Diocesan Council received an update on our potential liability for outstanding claims. Due to the greater proportion of civil settlements, the potential for more survivors than we initially anticipated, and higher average settlement amounts and costs, our potential liability for claims has risen sharply. The current estimate of our outstanding liability could be very high, and the Trustees have adopted a figure of $60 million over the next 15 years to ensure we are able to meet our obligations. We have already identified the funding for $14 million and now need to identify the funding for a further $46 million.
This is an extraordinary amount of money for a small diocese like ours and will cause many of us to feel anxious and afraid. However, we believe that providing redress is our responsibility and the right thing to do. The sins committed by the perpetrators were evil and have had lasting and irreparable effects on survivors. As Jesus bore the cost for sins he did not commit, we willingly bear the responsibility and therefore the cost of the sins of our forebears.
We also believe that God is our provider and that we can trust him to provide the funds to meet our needs. We have formed a team of people to look at how we do this. None of the solutions before us are desirable or easy. We will not be able to meet this responsibility without bearing an impact on our parish operations, especially where they are reliant on investment income. We will likely need to access our income-generating assets, many of which support our ministry day to day. This will be a season of pruning, but remember that pruning, while painful, leads to greater growth. We are not making any immediate decisions or changes, but I wanted to let you know where this is heading, so you can be prepared.
We could see this as a financial challenge, but I think it is better to view it as a discipleship challenge. We will need to move from reliance on the legacy capital of past generations to spiritual generosity in the present to support our ministries and to see the gospel of Jesus proclaimed across our state.
We are soon to adopt an updated Vision and Strategic plan with a number of priorities identified for the next 5 years. I am excited about our plans for ministry in parishes, in leadership development, with youth and young adults, and extending our reach into the community all undergirded by a deeper commitment to prayer. God has been faithful to us in the past and is calling us to follow him confidently into the future as we continue to be a Church for Tasmania, making disciples of Jesus.
I would like to invite you to pray: To pray especially for the survivors of abuse that through our redress response they will experience restorative justice, recognition and support. To pray for the team that is charged with identifying the funds to meet our obligations. To pray to the God of all provision to supply all our needs. To pray that the church will grow, and more disciples will be made, and that we would be faithful to the Lord who calls us onwards.
With warm wishes in Christ,
The Rt Revd Dr Richard Condie
Bishop of Tasmania
(He means of course he currently holds the office of Bishop in the Anglican Church of Tasmania, the group to whom he was writing. He is the latest in that job.)
You can find it here: https://anglicantas.org.au/
What do you think of the Bishop's call?
(I do wonder what Bishop Condie means by "restorative justice" for the survivors. That concept usually is not simply about money, nor even retributive financial penalties.)
My old news is closely related.
The falsehood I heard concerned the supposed unfair cost of redress to the Australian Anglican Diocese of Grafton, NSW. My trusting friend from there said people in Lismore had been seriously harmed in historical abuse and needed redress. However, the friend said, the harm had been done by outside people using the facilities of St Andrew's Lismore (Church of England). Whilst I had no reason to doubt my late friend, that surely warranted checking. The voluminous and confronting documentary records of the Royal Commission make very clear that the offending was by the then Church of England through its official representatives. I wonder, did my friend mishear? Or, was it one example of evasion and obfuscation delivered to unsuspecting congregants?
Such did happen. For example, see the Royal Commission records re "Lismore Church of England Children's Home", as it was historically known. The more recent Anglicans reportedly wanted to distance themselves from the scene!
In my opinion there is a serious problem "below the surface". Various institutions have unavoidable responsibilities. The responsibility (obligation) is the main point. That is still true if almost no one in the current iteration of the body is an offender. The law of the land holds to account the predators who betrayed those in their care, and those who knew and failed to act, or should have known and acted. Those who failed to act. Those who did act wickedly. Offenders who succeeded in making victims; there have offenders who failed in their duty. All of them making today's unfairness.
In the Bishop's letter, did you see anything about those who failed to act? Those knowing ones who embroiled their institution in the offences?
If a responsible body has to be completely stripped of assets and in effect "wound up", as an institution, for the sake of a little justice, how would the community be worse off? Really?
A current example comes from the body covering Anglican activity in North Queensland (ie, one third of that State). That Diocese has not been "wound up" but is working with court-supervised receivers. This has seen the design of a "restructure" allowing for changed arrangements with "business like usual" and with disposal of surplus assets. From this, funding will be available to meet redress debts. (You can see the official documents on the website of the Diocese, under "Renewal".)
https://www.anglicannq.org/about-us/renewal-process
Perhaps there are bodies that have "gone the extra mile" and given to the utmost in the interest of the survivors? Gone even to their own collapse as an institution? Perhaps. That might be just!
The clock can not be turned back. The harm was done. People, particularly the young, were made into victims. The damage was created and condoned.
"Survivors". Sadly, some victims have died. Deaths connected to the abuse they suffered? I hope that all abusers are brought to (human) justice.
In Australia I am not suggesting the historic Tasmanian Anglican crimes and failures, nor those of North Queensland, were exceptional. That I do not know or imagine. However, at least the authorities of those institutions have released reliable information, which must be to their credit. I have read enough of the records and reporting to know that other bodies and jurisdictions had (have) to be fully brought to account. I also know first hand that the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne (a larger comparable body) has not been as open as their Tasmanian counterparts. In fact, it seems to me the old mantra of "no reputational damage" holds sway still.
In more recent times the lid is off the risk. At least the lid is off to some extent. Congregants and the like are made aware to a greater or lesser extent of the dangers, and have contact details for external support and intervention.
Some bodies (too few) have historically had a culture of alertness to the danger of the predatory criminal, whether opportunistic or systematic. So, in my experience of many NSW Scripture Union camps and missions, even decades ago, care was routinely taken to ensure there were no unsupervised "one on one" contacts with opportunities for offences. Potential risk was eliminated. Children and young people were in safe places then, and can be now!
If you know something, say something. And, I add, say it to the Police.
Yes, indeed, it is really, really, unfortunate that people (congregants) who had no knowledge, responsibility, or power are adversely affected today by the failures of others. It is truly unfair - it was wickedly unfair behaviour by those who created the offending. Is the continuing obligation and duty now to do the utmost to prevent the harm from happening? To provide a measure of redress to victims? Whose obligations are they?
Where is God?
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith (Galatians 6:7-10 NRSVUE).
Paul was speaking about more than sexual and violence offences. However, surely it does apply. Isaiah's words (above) put stress on the poor and the needy.
Others may not see, but God does.
Historically, terrible treatment was handed out to the Aboriginal Australians. The results remain today. This was abuse on a vast scale. That has not been redressed.
On other shores victims are tragically being made now. https://www.commongrace.org.au/
Forgiveness? From God? Let us ask together, as we ought.
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us[c] (Luke 11 NIV).
Previous posts:
https://biblereaderone.blogspot.com/2018/02/redress-streams.html
https://biblereaderone.blogspot.com/2017/12/compensation.html
(I think the sexual offences I have referenced are down to males, though I have seen the rare report of female offenders before the courts.)
Even today in Australia there are people who were captive victims of men - females sadly turned into "sex slaves".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-29/return-of-isis-brides-sparks-fear-trauma-for-yazidi-community/106721998
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-01/nsw-byron-bay-parkway-drive-sexual-assaults-metalcore/106695704
May you be blessed by God
Allen Hampton
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Edited 01/06/26
02/06/26
13/06/26
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