Institutional Abuse
Our mission
Our team is committed to seeking justice for survivors of institutional abuse.
What makes us different is that we will approach your case in a holistic way by using the diverse skills and expertise of our dynamic team of lawyers, social workers, field officers and paralegals.
What we do
We represent clients in legal claims against agencies and institutions – such as foster care or juvenile detention centres – that were supposed to protect children but failed them.
We will advance your claim with determination and commitment from the moment we take your initial instructions. Once you have told us what happened, we will gather evidence on your behalf. We will collect the documents and records we need to help you build your case. We will connect you to experts, including to an experienced psychologist, for the purpose of obtaining a report. We understand that this can be a difficult and painful process, and we will support you in your journey.
Once we have built a strong case we will take legal action on your behalf and negotiate compensation for you.
Our holistic approach
We understand that the trauma inflicted by abuse is real and lasting and that disclosing the details will often be difficult. Our trauma-informed approach ensures that we will advance your legal claim in a way that is tailored to your specific needs. We will be on the lookout for additional things we can do to make the process as smooth as possible, such as linking you to suitable supports and services. You should understand that we do not charge clients for our work in referring or linking clients to support services, and we will never accept payment from third-party services for referring you to them.
For clients who are prisoners or ex-prisoners
We understand that past trauma has led many people to contact with the criminal justice system and that people who have spent time in prison often hate the idea of having any further contact with the legal system. Our team at RLWG understand this and we have developed an approach that is trauma-informed, and reflects deep knowledge and understanding of what you have been through. We are proud to have prisoner advocate Dave Martin (Paralegal/Social Worker) guide our team’s work linking our clients to supports and services such as community legal centres, mental health supports, housing services, NDIS supports and financial counsellors.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients
Colonialism and the discriminatory and punitive systems that colonialism brings continue to inflict damage, loss and hardship on First Nations people on their own land. The trauma and intergenerational trauma inflicted upon First Nations people must stop. We are beyond proud to have Cleonie Quayle (Aboriginal Field Officer and Paralegal) as part of our team, and available to ensure our practices are culturally safe and to guide our team and our clients. In her role as field officer, Cleonie offers additional supports to our Indigenous clients (there is no charge for this additional support service) to assist their journey while a client of RLWG and to minimise additional access to justice barriers.