System responses to child sexual abuse

The voices and perspectives of victim-survivors, parents, carers and frontline workers are central to the review.

We are now seeking submissions from people impacted in Queensland by the behaviour of the offender listed in the terms of reference. 

You are considered an impacted person if you:

• are a victim of the offender
• are or were a parent, guardian or carer, or another relative of a victim of the offending, or
• are or were an employee at a childcare center where the offending took place in Queensland.

If you are an impacted person, you can make a submission by emailing SRCSA@qfcc.qld.gov.au 

This document will assist you with your submission.

We will be seeking submissions over the coming weeks from community organisations, academics, government representatives and other people who were not directly impacted by the offender’s behaviour. We will publish information about this consultation process soon.

We will also be holding targeted consultation sessions between April and June 2025 with government agencies, support services, community organisations, academics and other experts, and we will be consulting with victim advocates and lived-experience representatives. 

Once your submission has been accepted, you will receive an acknowledgment and a consent form, allowing you to choose the extent to which you wish to be contacted, and the level of confidentiality applied to your information. All information received will be treated in accordance with the Family and Child Commission Act 2014. 

We are accepting written submissions only. If in doubt, please contact us to discuss before sending any information. 

It is an offence to email images or videos showing child sexual material (child exploitation material). This material needs to be reported to the police. 

You can request that all or some of your information be provided confidentially. 

While your information may inform the review’s work, it will not be published or quoted in the final report. This information will be treated confidentially in accordance with the provisions of the Family and Child Commission Act 2014.

We may still be required to disclose confidential information to police if required to do so by law. 

Section 229BC of the Criminal Code Act 1899 requires that if an adult reasonably believes that a child under the age of 16 years, or a person with an impairment of mind under the age of 18 years, is or has been sexually abused, they must report the information to a police officer. Failure to do so without a reasonable excuse is an offence which may attract penalties. 

All board members and review team members of the Queensland Family and Child Commission have reporting responsibilities. 

More information about this responsibility is available here.

Yes, you can. You will be asked to choose a level of disclosure and provide your consent before we incorporate information from submissions in any public material. 

These categories are public, anonymous and confidential. The level of confidentiality can be changed at any time prior to publication, and you are able to withdraw your submission and consent at any stage in the process before the report is published. 

All information will be treated in accordance with the provisions of the Family and Child Commission Act 2014 and in line with your written consent.

Public

• The participant’s name may be published with consent.
• The information provided by the participant may be attributed to them in any review materials or the final report.

Anonymous

•  All identifying information about the participant will be removed. 
• The participant’s information may be used but their identity will not be made public.

Confidential

• A participant may request that all or some of their information be provided confidentially. 
• While their information may inform the review, it will not be published or quoted in any review materials or the final report. 

No, there will be no public hearings. All submissions are to be made by email to SRCSAR@qfcc.qld.gov.au

Please contact us via email if you require assistance to make a submission in another way.

We will publish regular reports throughout the review process to ensure transparency and provide the public with confidence in the process. 

Our first progress report is available here.

Our final report is expected to be published in 2025; however, we will take the necessary time to ensure we meet the objectives of the review.

1800RESPECT (24 hours): 1800 737 732

Sexual Assault Helpline: 1800 010 120

Lifeline (24 hours): 13 11 14 

13YARN Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support (24 hours): 13 92 76

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Bravehearts: 1800 272 831

Victims Assist Queensland: 1300 546 587