New law introduced to protect child abuse survivors, closing superannuation loophole

It was a legal loophole being exploited by predators to punish their victims once again.

Filthy rich paedophiles were able to hide their fortune away in superannuation, where it was protected from being used to pay compensation claims to their victims.

For almost a decade, A Current Affair has been highlighting the tireless work of advocates and survivors campaigning to have the law changed.

Yesterday, our politicians finally listened, with history being made.

"[It] shouldn't have taken this long. It's a law change that's not going to cost the taxpayer a cent," lawyer and advocate Andrew Carpenter told A Current Affair.

What should have been a legislative no-brainer, has turned into a nine-year battle filled with broken promises, affecting those who've already suffered too much.

People like Edan Van Haren, who had his innocence stolen by a predator and then kicked in the guts once again by the legal loophole.

"It kind of felt like I was being abused all over again," Van Haren said.

The beneficiaries of this loophole were some of the most vile offenders in the country.

The New South Wales Supreme Court had ordered former CEO of Bega Cheese, Maurice Van Ryn - who was sentenced to at least 14 years in jail - to pay Van Haren $1.4 million in compensation.

But the former high-flying CEO filed for bankruptcy and Van Haren hasn't seen a cent.

"Really, it's just punishing me even more, even though, you know, I was 14 when this happened," he said.

"I didn't have a choice in any of this, but I'm the one being punished again, for what he did."

Way back when Malcolm Turnbull was still PM, the minister responsible for superannuation Kelly O'Dwyer received a petition containing 22,000 signatures begging her to change the law.

She fronted the media, promising she would. But when Scott Morrison rolled Turnbull, protecting child abuse victims fell off the priority list.

Until six years ago when a new coalition of child protection advocates decided to take up the fight.

Lawyer Andrew Carpenter, victim survivor Madeline West, and child protection advocate Adam Washbourne were the key drivers who were unwilling to leave this loophole in limbo.

"Its felt for a long time like a David and Goliath kind of scenario and suddenly we've defeated the giant in the room," West said.

On the floor of the House of Representatives this morning, assistant treasurer Daniel Mulino read out new legislation, finally swinging the balance back in favour of child victims.

Called the Survivors Law Bill, it enables those affected by child sexual abuse to apply for a court order to access superannuation contributions made by an offender.

"If that means that just one person will think twice before laying hands on a child then we've succeeded," West added.

But there's also a realisation that the new laws don't go far enough, with work to include civil findings of sexual abuse to hopefully be added at a later date.

"The work is far from over," Washbourne from Fighters Against Child Abuse told A Current Affair.

"We're nowhere near done but look, we'll take the victories and celebrate them when we can."

"These things take time to perfect but we're on the right side of history," West said.