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Senator, former barrister gives support to legal service ‘under attack’ by class action
The Greens justice spokesperson and former barrister David Shoebridge has voiced his support for the community legal service accused of providing negligent advice to child sexual abuse victims.
Naomi Neilson
The government-funded community legal service Knowmore was hit with a class action late last week over the allegedly negligent advice that cost victims of child sexual abuse hundreds of thousands in compensation.
Arnold Thomas & Becker, the firm that filed the proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court, alleged Knowmore pushed the victims into making a claim through the National Redress Scheme and did not advise them about the option of filing civil claims.
“It is shocking to learn that so many survivors who have been brave enough to come forward and seek justice have been robbed as a result of inadequate advice,” the head of Arnold Thomas & Becker’s abuse practice, Kim Price, alleged.
Shoebridge, the Greens senator for NSW, said Knowmore’s “sole interest” is to assist survivors of abuse and should continue to be funded “to undertake this work and defend it from attack”.
“At this point in time, it is critical that survivors of abuse have trust and confidence in the services available to know.
“Knowmore has been essential for thousands of survivors; I know and respect their trauma-informed approach to advice, and I would urge all politicians, governments and the legal sector to show their support for the service,” Shoebridge said in a statement.
The government website for the National Redress Scheme currently directs victims to Knowmore for advice.
Payments through the scheme are capped at $150,000, and survivors release the institutions responsible from future legal action.
“For many, the scheme is the only recognition they will get of the child sexual abuse they suffered and the only form of justice they will receive from institutions that so let them down,” Shoebridge said.
Price alleged that if victims were told of the civil claims, they could have been awarded “significantly more compensation”.
In some cases, victims received over $1,000,000.
“The survivors who received redress through Knowmore are distressed about the pathetic compensation they have received for what are devastating life-long injuries, which is further compounded when they find out what was available through a civil claim.
“They have been robbed as a result of inadequate advice – this adds to the trauma they have already experienced,” Price said.
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
