Jehovah’s Witnesses formally join national sexual abuse redress scheme

Jehovah’s Witnesses have formally joined the national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, becoming one of 34 additional organisations to sign up. This follows more than a year of pressure from the federal government, which had named the group among six initial hold-outs. The move allows 37 stalled applications for financial support to be processed, as part of a broader effort to address historical abuse claims.

The national redress scheme has received over 11,800 applications, with approximately half processed and nearly $530 million in payments made. A total of 526 organisations, along with the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments, have signed up to the program. The Jehovah’s Witnesses were among the first to be publicly identified as resisting participation, prompting the government to impose sanctions including reduced access to grants and challenges to their charitable status and tax concessions.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston noted that these measures likely influenced the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ decision to reconsider. She expressed gratitude to institutions that joined voluntarily, highlighting the benefits for survivors. The 34 new signatories include organisations such as Tennis Australia, St John Ambulance Australia Queensland, and Youth Off the Streets, reflecting a mix of entities with past abuse claims and those joining preemptively due to their work with children.

Senator Ruston explained that the scheme streamlines the redress process for survivors, as institutions that have already signed up do not need to be onboarded for each new application. This change aims to provide quicker access to support for those affected by past abuse. Only one of the original six hold-outs, Kenja Communication, remains unregistered, citing a belief that “genuine claims” of abuse against it do not exist.

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