Apology to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in institutional settings (07 Nov 2022)

Dear Colleagues

On Tuesday 8 November 2022 the Premier of Tasmania, the Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP, will lead a formal Apology to all who have been affected by institutional child sexual abuse in Tasmania on behalf of the Parliament. Anyone can attend. All Secretaries will support our staff to choose whether they want to watch or attend; it is a personal choice.

The Apology will take place in Parliament House from 12:00 midday to 1:00 pm. The event will be livestreamed online and there will be viewing areas at Parliament House, Parliament Lawns and the Hobart Function and Conference Centre. You will need to register if you would like to view the Apology at Parliament House. You do not need to register if you wish to attend on the lawns or at the conference centre. Detailed information on how to attend the Apology is available on the Department of Premier and Cabinet website at www.dpac.tas.gov.au/apology. If you require further information or support to attend the Apology, you can request this by emailing apology@dpac.tas.gov.au or calling the hotline on 6145 5355.

We need to be aware that this Apology may affect us, our colleagues and those Tasmanians we work with in different ways, and at different times, regardless of whether we choose to attend/watch or not. If anything associated with the Apology raises issues for you,
or you feel you would like to speak to someone, there are a range of supports available outlined below.

Support available

At different times, we all need to be supported – so please recognise if this is one of those times for you. If it is, the following supports are available before, during and after the event.

• A Tasmanian Lifeline on 1800 98 44 34 which operates from 8 am – 8 pm, 7 days per week. If you are in crisis and require support outside of those hours, please call 13 11 14,
• The Employee Assistance Program of your agency,or
• The statewide sexual assault support line 24 hour response and information/support service on 1800 MYSUPPORT
  (1800 697 877).

At the Apology, counsellors from Lifeline Tasmania, the Sexual Assault Support Service, Laurel House and Relationships Australia will be available at Parliament House, Parliament Lawns and the Hobart Function and Conference Centre to provide support and counselling.

If you or someone you know wishes to attend the Apology in person and requires financial support or other assistance to do so, you can call the hotline (6145 5355) or email apology@dpac.tas.gov.au.

If the Apology raises any issues for you, or you feel you would like to speak to someone, I encourage you to utilise the services above, speak with your manager or your agency’s Human Resources team who will provide assistance.