The State Government will establish a $5 million support service for victims of child abuse and sexual crimes on the North-West Coast along similar lines of those already in operation in Hobart and Launceston.
Known as Arch Centres, the concept has been on trial for the past two years, with Premier and Braddon MP Jeremy Rockliff announcing funding for a North-West Arch Centre in State Parliament.
Mr Rockliff was tabling Commission of Inquiry report into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings, which was tabled yesterday.
He says the Arch Centres provide trauma-informed support services and police responses for child abuse and sexual assault victims.
“This multi-service response to people who have experienced abuse and trauma ensures they are able to access all services in one centre and are not required to ‘re-tell’ their story, Mr Rockliff says.
“The centres also provide for an environment for greater information‑sharing across government and non-government agencies,” he says.
