Report historical or past abuse
Information about how to report historical or past child sexual abuse, including contact details for each state and territory.
Historical child sexual abuse refers to child sexual abuse that happened to someone who is now an adult, when they were under the age of 18. The abuse could have happened many years ago, and may not have been disclosed before or for a long time.
It takes a lot of strength for victims and survivors of historical child sexual abuse to disclose. Any direct, indirect or suspected disclosure of child sexual abuse should always be believed and responded to. You can find out more on our How to respond to a child sexual abuse disclosure page. If you, or someone you know, needs support, you can find a dedicated list of support services on our Get support page.
Institutional child sexual abuse
Institutional child sexual abuse refers to abuse that occurred in a variety of institutional settings, such as a school, church, children’s home or sporting facility. Institutional child sexual abuse may be perpetrated by a single individual to a single victim. However, those that commit abuse in an institutional setting often have multiple victims. Institutional child sexual abuse can involve several people committing abuse within the same institution and also includes abuse by peers.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse inquired into how institutions with a responsibility for children managed and responded to allegations of child sexual abuse. You can find more information about how the Australian Government has responded to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on our Royal Commission page.
If you are a victim or survivor of institutional child sexual abuse, you may be able to submit an application to the National Redress Scheme. The National Redress Scheme was established by the Australian Government in response to the Royal Commission. The Scheme provides acknowledgement and support to people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse. You may also be able to pursue a civil claim for compensation against the institution.
More information can be found on the National Redress Scheme website, or by calling 1800 737 377. There are also a number of organisations that can provide support with Redress applications. You can find relevant support services on the National Redress Scheme website or our Get support page.
How to report historical child sexual abuse
There is no statute of limitation, or limit of time, on reporting child sexual abuse, and reports can be made to the police regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. Police can investigate child sexual abuse weeks, months and even years after it has occurred.
Contact details for reporting historical child sexual abuse in each state or territory can be found below.