BackTuesday, 25 July 2017
Royal Commission vital to abuse solution
Dignity Party MP Kelly Vincent says while South Australia has a Disability Justice Plan in place, it is crucial that a Royal Commission is also established to enquire into the toll of abuse against people with disabilities.
“The findings indicate that non-government services over-represented in the abuse statistics, yet this is the largest sector of support for people with disabilities. And with the role out of the NDIS more non-government services are being provided every day,” says Kelly Vincent.
“Disabled people can be more susceptible to abuse for a variety of reasons including reliance on others for personal care, isolation, and a lack of education. Holistic, and systemic, approaches are needed to fill these gaps and better protect us against abuse.
“As well as a Royal Commission, we need to address the current situation by alerting people with disabilities, their family carers and supporters, as well as the paid workforce working in the disability sector of their rights and responsibilities.
“Whether abuse be financial, deprivation of liberty, physical, psychological or sexual, we need a clear channel of reporting and the community demand to know that there will be repercussions for perpetrators.
“SA is better placed to pursue accusations through the legal system, but we need to educate the entire community about the human rights of all citizens and the responsibility of all to report breaches wherever they occur.
“We need this Royal Commission, and we need it now, further delay and avoidance is tantamount to institutional abuse,” said Ms Vincent.
You can read the NSW Ombudsman findings here: https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/about-us/facts-and-figures/community-and-disability-facts-and-figures
