Disabled kids at high risk of sexual abuse

JUSTICE FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY

About 170,000 Australian children under 15 live with profound disability in institutions. They face a much higher risk of sexual abuse, but comparatively few cases reach court.

The child abuse royal commission wants to find out:

* What special problems these children face in dealing with the court system

* Whether there is a better way to gather information in such cases

* Whether there is a better way for these children to give evidence

* Whether laws can be changed to allow prosecutions when usual requirements of evidence can't be met.

Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.