National Strategy Advisory Group

Advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse

Aimee is a proud Worimi and Gamilaraay woman. She works in the child and family industry. As a result of her own experience in out-of-home care and youth justice, Aimee is passionate about the 2 systems and the diverse range of issues young people face in care and when transitioning to adulthood. She is also passionate about advocating for the rights of children, with a particular focus on preventing child sexual abuse and responding to disclosures of child sexual abuse.

Aimee was a member of the Queensland Government’s Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Taskforce to the National Redress Scheme. On the taskforce, Aimee used her lived experience to provide advice on the Redress Scheme processes, and supported actions to develop more youth-focused resources. She has also supported several young people through their Redress Scheme applications.

Aimee currently works at the Queensland Family and Child Commission in the First Nations and Child Rights Advocacy team.

Doctoral candidate in law; advocate for victims and survivors in sports

For Alison Quigley, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse played a pivotal role in her life, encouraging her to come forward to report a gymnastics coach for sex offences committed against her when she was a child in the sport.

Thanks to the Victorian SANO Taskforce, the team secured a conviction in 2017, and these days Alison is a doctoral candidate in law studying child-safe policies in Australian gymnastics. Her goal in the doctorate is to evaluate child-safe policies to arrive at a best-practice model, one to offer the next generation of child athletes a safer future in sport.

She is also president of Owls for Justice Inc, an accountability agency that keeps an eye on the progress of Royal Commission recommendations, and a director of Athlete Rights Australia, an athlete advocacy, education and support organisation.

She rallies for organisational change in sporting bodies, with a focus on transparency, accountability, redress and the power of voice in enacting reforms.

Advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse

Amanda is a proud Yorta Yorta woman raised on Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr land and now living on Dharug Land. Amanda is a trauma-informed victim-survivor advocate, a 2022 Churchill Fellow, an accredited Lifeline Crisis Supporter, community organiser, speaker and writer.

Amanda’s studies at Macquarie University focused on developmental and applied child and adolescent psychology, psychopathology, discrimination law and alternative dispute resolution.

Amanda is the founder of Make A Seat Australia, a culturally-safe, trauma-informed media engagement platform for survivors.

Former Commissioner to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Bob commenced public service with the Queensland Police Service in 1968, serving as Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service for 12 years from 2000 until his retirement in October 2012.

In a 44-year career with the Queensland Police Service, Bob served throughout Queensland from Goondiwindi to Cairns. Bob oversaw reforms after the Fitzgerald inquiry from 1990 as well as the recommendations of the Public Sector Management Commission review of the Queensland Police Service in 1993.

Following his retirement from the Queensland Police Service, Bob was appointed as a Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Bob served as one of the 6 Royal Commissioners during the 5-year inquiry from 2013 to 2017.

In 2018, Bob was appointed as chair of the Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Taskforce.

In 2019, Bob was appointed as co-chair of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council.

In 2023, Bob was appointed as Assistant Commissioner to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Bob's lifelong dedication to public service was recognised through a Queensland Great Award in 2019.

Founders - The Daniel Morcombe Foundation

Denise and Bruce Morcombe established The Daniel Morcombe Foundation in 2005 as a lasting legacy to their son. They are committed to educating children on how to stay safe in a physical and online environment, and supporting young victims of crime. As passionate advocates for children’s rights, Denise and Bruce continue to push for national consistency in language used and making child safety education material freely available to all Australian children and young people. They are strong advocates for all children and young people, especially those who are victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Among their achievements are:

• Queensland Child Safety Ambassadors – 2011 to date
• Production and distribution of free child safety resources – 2006 to date
• Creation of Day for Daniel – Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day – 2005 to date
• Creation of Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson – 2017 to date
• Commitment to the early intervention of children displaying harmful sexual behaviour through the Changing Futures and Bright Futures projects
• Working group member of The Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum
• Support of hundreds of child victims of crime.

Chief Executive Officer - SNAICC – National Voice for our Children

An Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia, Catherine has been a leading advocate in upholding the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on a national, regional and local level. Catherine has held senior management positions in First Nations organisations including First Nations Media and Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships, as well as within the Northern Territory Education Department, the ABC and NITV/SBS.

A journalist by trade, Catherine’s motivation has always been to drive change that leads to positive outcomes and options for First Nations people. Over the past 10 years she has led multidisciplinary teams, overseen workplace transformations, and advocated for policy reform. 

Catherine is the CEO for SNAICC - National Voice for our Children, the national non-governmental peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that works for the fulfilment of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, in particular to ensure their safety, development and wellbeing.

Clinical Director - SafeCare Inc

Christabel Chamarette is a registered clinical psychologist with 50 years’ experience in the treatment of violence and child sexual abuse.

She was clinical director of SafeCare Inc from 1997 to 2008, which provided treatment for all family members where child sexual abuse was a concern.

Since 2009, in addition to her clinical psychology private practice, Christabel provides supervision for allied health professionals. She also provides a referral and treatment service for men seeking the SafeCare offender treatment program or charged with child exploitation material offences.

She is a founding member of the Australian Psychological Society Interest Group in child sexual abuse and psychology and the Australian Training Institute for Child Sexual Abuse Treatment (ATICSAT), which ran training programs for professionals in the area of child sexual offender treatment from 2018 to 2022.

In the Make A Change Project in the Kimberley, she assists Aboriginal community members to learn about the healing of childhood adversity and problems of drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide.

Deputy CEO – Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory

Erin Lew Fatt is an Aboriginal woman from Darwin who has been working in the Aboriginal health sector for over 19 years. Erin is the program manager at the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), managing workforce policy, chronic disease workforce support, leadership and digital health for AMSANT and its members.

Previous roles before AMSANT included working at Danila Dilba Health Service and the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, mainly in executive support, education and training and governance roles. Erin holds tertiary qualifications in business and project management and is currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science through Charles Darwin University.

Founder of bravehearts; child protection and safeguarding specialist 

Hetty Johnston founded Bravehearts Foundation Ltd in 1997 after the sexual assault of her then young daughter and is now one of Australia’s leading advocates and consultants on child protection and sexual assault.

In both 2003 and 2004, Hetty was awarded Australian Lawyers Alliance Civil Justice Awards. In 2014 she was appointed with the Order of Australia. In 2015 she was recognised as Queensland’s Australian of the Year, and in 2016 she was appointed to the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame.

Hetty is a highly experienced and nationally respected social enterprise entrepreneur, safeguarding consultant and speaker. With a strong business background, she has been an advocate for the environment and small businesses, and worked in politics before focusing on child protection.

Hetty’s courage and determination have helped bring about the cultural shift currently taking place in how Australia responds to child sexual assault.

Advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse

Jade hails from beautiful Nipaluna country in Lutruwita. Jade is studying a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences and Criminology at the University of Tasmania. She serves on the Tasmanian University Social Work Committee as a general member and as a student well- being ambassador. Within these roles, Jade focuses on supporting neurodiverse students throughout their studies as well as making meaningful change to the ways higher education can support students with lived experience of sexual harm.

Jade is interested in child safeguarding within institutions and developing age-appropriate tools for young people experiencing coercive control within relationships. With her passion for psychology, Jade is also an advocate for trauma-informed, specialised courts and support services for preventative and responsive care for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse as well as young people exhibiting harmful sexual behaviours.

Chief Executive Officer - National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Most recently serving as the CEO of the Victims of Crime Commissioner’s Office (Victoria), Dr Bush has built a career in leadership roles across complex and diverse sectors. Her expertise in addressing complex trauma and systemic victimisation has been central to her impactful work, including leading teams that undertook the landmark Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Criminal Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations (Betrayal of Trust) and the Inquiry into Abuse in Disability Services in Victoria.

Dr Bush has held executive and non-executive roles in the community and public sectors, including leadership positions with Domestic Violence Victoria, the Victorian Public Sector Commission and the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office. She was the Board Chair of Safe Steps Family Violence Response Service and a Non-Executive Director of Relationships Australia Victoria.

Chief Executive Officer - Laurel House

Kathryn Fordyce is an experienced executive leader and non‑executive director with demonstrated expertise in the for‑purpose disability, health, early childhood and sexual violence sectors. Kathryn is currently the CEO of Laurel House, a specialist sexual assault service in Northern Tasmania.

Before joining Laurel House, Kathryn had worked within the disability sector with a particular focus on support for autistic people. Kathryn holds qualifications in speech pathology, early childhood education and care, health services management, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kathryn has co-authored peer reviewed papers on autism, early intervention and evidence-based practice. Kathryn is on the board of National Association of Services against Sexual Violence, Speech Pathology Australia, Playgroup Australia, Playgroup Tasmania, and Providers of Sexual Assault Care. Kathryn is also actively involved in other committees that focus on the health and wellbeing of children and young people, and the inclusion of people with disabilities.

In 2023, Kathryn was inducted onto the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women, and in 2024 was a Tasmanian Australian of the Year nominee.

Chief Executive Officer - Phoenix Support and Advocacy Service Inc

Louise currently leads Phoenix Support and Advocacy Service supporting survivors. In the early 90s, Louise worked as counsellor, clinical supervisor and coordinator in Australia’s first co-located domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse service. As a founding member and convenor of the peak body Domestic Violence Action Groups of WA, she successfully lobbied government on social justice reforms, legislative and policy change, and funding for counselling and support services.

Louise was a key advisor for the ‘Freedom from Fear’ media campaign. Louise has developed best practice guides, policy, screening and operational frameworks for a range of services and has trained the judiciary along with other allied professionals. She has held senior positions within the not-for-profit community services sector, and with state and federal government in Perth, Bunbury and Canberra. Louise considers her varied life experiences to be her greatest teacher and feels privileged to contribute what she has learnt. She believes creating compassionate communities is the way forward.

Louise is a member of the WACOSS Children’s Policy Advisory Council, the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing Sexual Violence Expert Advisory Group, and the WA Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy Reference Group.

Chief Executive Officer - Ethnic Communities’ Council NSW

As Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, a state wide peak body representing culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Mary leads a team that delivers programs funded by state and Commonwealth aimed at building the capacity of culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities. This includes programs and projects in DV prevention, working with men elder abuse campaigns, and parent forums on consent education. Mary has extensive experience in consultations with culturally, linguistically, and spiritually and religiously diverse groups as they pertain to domestic and family violence, technologically based education for refugee men and women, aged care and disability, racism and discrimination, and women’s safety. She is a passionate advocate of equitable access to services and supports for vulnerable people.

Mary sits on numerous boards and advisory bodies, including as a member of the Minister’s NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Multicultural Advisory Committee and an affiliate member of Sydney Institute for Women Children and their Families. Mary participated in the national conversation for the 2021 National Summit on Women’s Safety and contributed towards the next National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, and development of a NSW Framework to prevent, identify and respond to children and young people presenting with problematic and harmful sexual behaviours.

As a state-wide peak body representative, Mary has contributed to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and submitted to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Coercive Control. Mary is currently working with the state-wide Services Child Wellbeing Unit on developing agreed principles for working with culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse children, young people and families.

Chief Executive Officer - Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion

Matilda has been a leader and human rights lawyer for nearly 20 years, including at Prisoners’ Legal Service and LGBTI Legal Service.

She teaches prison law at Griffith University and has previously worked at the Queensland Human Rights Commission and been a principal lawyer at Legal Aid Queensland.

She won multiple awards for her work with vulnerable communities and holds an enduring passion for justice.

She is currently the patron of the LGBTI Legal Service and CEO of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion.

Director of Therapy Services - Act for Kids

Miranda holds Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in Psychology. While residing in the USA, New Zealand and Australia, Miranda has worked as a clinician, educator and advocate for over 25 years. She has specialised in the areas of interpersonal violence and trauma throughout her career. This focus has led to opportunities to design and apply interventions across varied geographical and societal contexts. While in New Zealand, Miranda was accredited by NZ Family Court for direct service provision to men using domestic violence in relationships and their aggrieved partners. Since immigrating to Australia, she has focused specifically on the impact of abuse and trauma on children.

Her current role as Act for Kids Director of Therapy & Education Services includes responsibility and oversight of best practice across Act for Kids therapeutic services and early education programmes. Therapeutic services in her scope include: allied health integrated therapy, infant mental health, trauma, youth sexual violence and sexual abuse counselling programmes. Miranda leads these services with a consistent and evidence-informed approach to working with children, young people and their families. She has presented on a range of topics at professional conferences and webinars.

She is the current chair of the Queensland Harmful Sexual Behaviour Treatment Network. She maintains professional membership with the Australian Counselling Association and the Australia New Zealand Association for Treatment of Sexual Abuse (ANZATSA).

Chair of the Clinical Advisory Committee, Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN); Co-Lead of the Disrupting Violence Beacon, Griffith University

Patrick O’Leary has worked in the area of gendered violence as a social worker and now as a researcher for over 25 years. Since 2004, Patrick has held numerous senior posts at universities in Australia and the United Kingdom. He has worked internationally and domestically on domestic violence and child protection issues.

Patrick was commissioned as an expert academic advisor to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and has served as a senior research fellow with UNICEF’s Office for Research. Most recently he was a member of the Queensland Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce examining coercive control and women’s experience of the justice system in relation to sexual violence as well as women’s experience as offenders.

At Griffith University, he has been the academic lead for the Violence Research and Prevention Program (VRPP) and MATE Bystander Project. Currently he is co-leader of the Disrupting Violence Beacon at Griffith University and is the chair of the Clinical Advisory Committee for Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN), a lead national organisation supporting male survivors of child sexual abuse.

Patrick’s work is internationally recognised and his work is widely cited in high quality journals. He is the co-editor of International Social Work since 2018.

Child safeguarding specialist

Phil Doorgachurn currently leads Strategic Safeguarding Children Initiatives at the Australian Childhood Foundation, including the On Us Coalition. Phil previously led Y Safeguarding, the Y (formerly YMCA of Australia)’s national safeguarding charity which aims to empower all children and young people to feel safe and be safe at the Y, in their families and in their communities. Phil has led this team for the past 3 years and has a strong focus on innovative safeguarding prevention methods that keep children and young people safe.

Phil has significant international safeguarding experience across a range of sectors. Phil is the former Head of Safeguarding for Arsenal FC and British Tennis in the UK, as well as the Safeguarding Training Lead for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Phil also led the UK’s largest children’s charity, the NSPCC’s training team.

Phil now sits on the Board of Safe Sport International and LimeCulture, two of the world’s leading safeguarding organisations.

Youth Ambassador and survivor advocate

As Youth Ambassador and Advisor for Children and Young People, Shelley has spent the last 13 years across multiple government and non-government organisations advocating with and on behalf of children and young people in the out-of-home care system in both local and federal spaces. She is passionate about advocating for needed systemic changes to improve and benefit the care system for children and young people, such as young people participating in policy making and decision making, record keeping, family finding and the discontinued practice of stigmatised language.

In 2014, Shelley received the ACT Personal Achievement Award. Shelley is a current social work student at The Australian Catholic University.

Community Impact Manager – Children and Young People with Disability Australia

Sonia (she/her) has worked in a range of roles across government and community – always with a focus on empowering children, young people and families. Her qualifications in sociology and disability, have driven her advocacy for individual and systemic matters in child protection, education and disability service provision. As Community Impact Manager, Sonia strives to support CYDA to have a genuine impact as leaders in the disability community.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer - The Carly Ryan Foundation

Carly Ryan was 15-years-old when she was murdered by an online predator.

It was the first crime of its type in Australia, occurring in 2007 when social media was a new phenomenon and paedophiles were really starting to infiltrate the online space. Determined to help prevent harm to other innocent children and to help them navigate their online journey safely, Carly's mum Sonya shared her lived experience and incorporated The Carly Ryan Foundation (CRF) in 2010, creating an extraordinary legacy.

The Carly Ryan Foundation has now expanded into the United States and will continue efforts to introduce Carly’s Law there while sharing valuable resources and crime prevention initiatives to benefit US citizens and children. This crime type is borderless. Offenders can easily access their victims from anywhere in the world, exploiting them under a veil of privacy and anonymity. Sonya has led efforts for over a decade in Australia to make her home country one of the toughest on online crime and harms and now an international leader in crime prevention.

Sonya's lived experience of extreme suffering demonstrates the strength of a mother's love connection with her daughter – the unparalleled power of love.