Journeys of Hope

The Commonwealth Government established in 2012, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to investigate how institutions have responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse. The Royal Commission released 11 issues papers on topics related to our work. This provided organisations and individuals with the opportunity to contribute to our consideration of systemic issues. Issues included the provision of advocacy and support and therapeutic treatment services, experiences of police and prosecution responses to reports of child sexual abuse, and preventing child sexual abuse in out-of-home care.

In 2013, Interrelate was funded to provide the Royal Commission community-based support services to survivors of child sexual abuse and their families, as well as witnesses and employees of institutions and organisations where abuse took place. Since the program’s inception, Interrelate has supported more than 1,000 clients affected by the Royal Commission. Interrelate in Lismore has delivered counselling and support Services to individual impacted by Institutional abuse for 5 years. It has been our privilege to work with community members and their families.

Many clients have used the creative arts as part of their recovery process to communicate and repair traumatic memories and we hope that by exhibiting this work, community awareness of child sexual abuse will be raised and recognition and honour given to the successes and efforts of survivors. We are therefore excited to host a state-wide display of works that are the creative expressions of clients’ unique and personal ways of expressing their feelings and making meaning of their journeys.

Interrelate staff have been honoured to support the journey towards recovery with people who have been affected by the Royal Commission.