This week on 19 February 2025 Rachel Payne MP introduced a bill for an act to amend the Wrongs Act 1958 to make certain organisations vicariously liable for the abuse of children by persons akin to employees of those organisations and to consequentially amend the Victoria Police Act 2013 and for other purposes. 

This bill seeks to nullify the recent ruling by the High Court in Bird v DP which ruled the "Catholic Church not liable for abuse of a young boy by one of its priests. The High Court overturned on appeal a previous ruling by Victoria's Supreme Court that the diocese was liable. The court found the relevant legislation did not provide a basis for imposing vicarious liability because the priest was not an employee of the church."
https://www.9news.com.au/national/catholic-diocese-not-liable-for-boys-historic-abuse-court-rules/dd253b4d-bc90-43c0-b9c3-fea1e989db32

This ruling also impacted victim/survivors abused by people employed by organisations in roles such as coaches, scout leaders etc.

The Wrongs Amendment (Vicarious Liability) Bill 2025 will help many survivors whose current or planned legal actions, were impacted by Bird v DP, to have hope these can go ahead. Including numerous Beaumaris victim/survivors of Darrel Ray at St Kilda FC, when he was the little league coach. 

Darrell Ray was one of Australia's most prolific child sexual abuse offenders. "Notorious paedophile Darrell Vivian Ray has died, denying abuse survivors closure that might have come from imminent criminal court proceedings against the former school librarian and sports coach.Ray, who was convicted in 1979 of sexually abusing St Kilda Little League footballers and in 2001 of abusing students at the Beaumaris and Tucker Road (Moorabbin) primary schools in bayside Melbourne, was facing a further custodial sentence at the time of his death. In June, the 82-year-old, who changed his name to Ray Cosgriff, was charged with 26 counts of indecent assault upon a male following a lengthy investigation by Victoria Police. After numerous delays due to Ray's ill-health, that matter was set to return to court in February 2024 but will no longer proceed. In 2001, Ray pleaded guilty to 27 counts of indecently assaulting 18 male students of Moorabbin Primary School and Beaumaris Primary school between 1967 and 1976 and was sentenced to 44 months in prison with a minimum term of 17 months.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-23/paedophile-teacher-st-kilda-football-coach-darrell-ray-dies/103139130

___________________________

Rachel Payne MP is also a supporter of our petition, last year requesting the Victorian government to respond to our petition, and meet with us. 

We have thanked Ms Payne for her ongoing support of the Victorian child abuse survivor community.