9 News | 13 Mar 2019 | Abuse survivors arrive for Pell sentence
Abuse survivors have begun arriving at Melbourne's County Court, for the sentencing of disgraced Cardinal George Pell for abusing two teenage boys in 1996.
MandurahMail| 22 Feb 2019| Australia hopes for Pope action on abuse crisis
Pope Francis has promised concrete action against child sexual abuse by priests, but an Australian victims' advocate remains sceptical about whether a landmark summit will deliver the necessary changes.
SBS| 22 Feb 2019| Why History has left survivors sceptical of the Vatican's child protection summit
The Catholic Church is in the middle of a 'global crisis related to child sexual abuse' says Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, President of trauma support group, Blue Knot Foundation.
HospitalHealthcare| 7 Feb 2019| New alternative trauma diagnosis framework
Read Dr. Cathy Kezelman's article on the 'New Alternative trauma diagnosis framework'. This framework , developed in the UK, the Power Threat Meaning Framework is an ambitious conceptual alternative to the diagnostic model of psychiatry, focusing on the impact of power on us all — including trauma victims.
Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton’s call to create a sex offender register across Australia has ignited national commentary about whether it’s a useful measure to keep our children safe or politically expedient populism.
Herald Sun| 9 Jan 2019| National sex offender register must be informed by what works
Families would be safer if Australian child sex offenders were publicly listed online, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says. But a leading child protection group has dismissed the minister’s push for a national child sex offender register as a “political stunt”.
Kidspot | 16 Dec 2018 | Children are the forgotten victims of domestic violence
Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, President of the Blue Knot Foundation addresses how domestic violence can impact the children caught in the middle following White Ribbon Day.
Tarryn* was just 12 years old when she was raped by a man offering girls in his community cannabis and cigarettes in exchange for sex. In the weeks and years that followed the assault, she was overcome by feelings of shame and emptiness and forced to leave the town she grew up in, where her abuser still lived.
ABC News|12 Nov 2018| Ben Lawrence and Cathy Kezelman in conversation
After Jason King's brother died in a car accident, Jason was consumed by grief. But when Jason found that he was able to talk to his brother's ghost, it helped to relieve his grief and led to a new weekend job: ghosthunter.
Morning Bulletin| 29 Oct 2018| Real lives, Real Change : Blue Knot Day
For many Central Queenslanders, the daily pain of living with childhood trauma is often not talked about
Pro Bono Australia| 23 Oct 2018| Calls to remove charity status of abusive organisations
Charities involved in institutional abuse that fail to enter the national redress scheme should lose their charitable status, abuse survivors say amid the prime minister’s national apology to survivors of child sexual abuse.
ABC News| 19 Sep 2018| South Australia one of the last states to remove time limits for child abuse compensation
South Australia has become one of the last states in the country to remove time limits on child abuse victims taking civil action against their abuser. A bill to remove the statute of limitations on child abuse passed State Parliament yesterday, on the same day the state formally joined the national redress scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse.
Guardian| 14 Sep 2018| A ghost hunter investigates his own haunted childhood
In a new documentary, a Sydney security guard’s ghostbusting business becomes a metaphor for unearthing the spectres of his past.
Third Sector| 6 Jul 2018| Photo Exhibition to raise money for sexual abuse survivors
The fundraising event will be held as part of the exhibition, featuring guest speakers including the Minister for Mental Health, Martin Foley. All funds will go to the Dax Centre and Blue Knot Foundation, Australia’s National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma.
ABC News| 13 June 2018| Leadership, monitoring and accountability needed to help keep our children safe in institutions’
More than 400 recomendations were made, aimed at stopping abuse and improving the way peadophiles are investigated and prosecuted. It also spelled out the need for a national redress scheme which is due to start next month.
Central News| 6 June 2018 | NSW Attorney General introduces criminal justice reform around child sexual abuse building on Royal Commission recommendations
Attorney General Mark Speakman announced the package on Wednesday morning following a series of recommendations by the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.
Kid Spot| 16 May 2018 | Child Abuse within family is often a secret. Speaking out can be challenging and takes a lot of courage
After her father committed suicide when she was 16, Raquel decided to start sharing her story. Two years later, her abuser was found guilty. Raquel credits the act of speaking out as part of her healing process, and part of the reasoning behind the decision to launch her podcast.
PRO-BONO Australia| 9 April 2018 | Social Sector Urged to implement 'Trauma-Informed' approach to service delivery
The Blue Knot Foundation released its Talking About Trauma report on Saturday to coincide with World Health Day, as a new guide for services to improve their engagement with survivors of childhood trauma.
Herald Sun|15 February 2018|What we all need to know about memory
Why do we sometimes struggle to remember? If you’re not sure, you're not alone. There’s been a lack of understanding about memory for a long time – and it’s had dire consequences. That’s because many victims of abuse only recover memories of their trauma years later, and when they do they’re often not believed, or taken seriously – in the justice or health system, or with family and friends. That can stop them getting justice or the right treatment, causing untold harm.
PRO-BONO Australia| 18 December | Social Sector Urges Action in Wake of Royal Commission Findings
The social sector has urged Australian institutions to commit to systemic change in wake of the findings from the child sexual abuse royal commission, as concerns are raised around the exemptions to governance standards offered to religious charities
SMH | 7 November | What if we knew domestic violence was a cause of suicide?>>
Every day eight Australians take their own lives. What if we could cut that in half tomorrow?
SMH | 30 September | Child abuse activist Cathy Kezelman hits back over 'false memory' claims>>
A leading child abuse activist linked to the $500 million child abuse royal commission.
ABC | 23 August | Royal Commission report highlights ADF failures allowed child abuse>>
ADF needs to implement cultural systemic change with zero policy for abuse.
The Guardian | 17 August | Abuse inquiry reforms would put more paedophiles in jail, experts say>>
Proposed legislative changes recommended by Royal Commission will optimise justice processes for victims
PRObono Australia | 16 August | Recommendations to criminal justice system prioritise role of victims >>
Proposed legislative changes recommended by Royal Commission will optimise justice processes for victims
AP NEWS | 15 August | Australian inquiry: Priests should report abuse confessions>>
Zero tolerance to revelations of institutional child sexual abuse, including the confessional
The China Post | 27 July |Australia's Cardinal Pell, the Vatican's top banker, to plead not guilty to sex offence charges>>
Cardinal Pell faces multiple historical sexual offense charges.
Echonetdaily | 23 June | Childhood sexual assault: healing at Heartfelt house>>
Moving forward from childhood sexual abuse and creating a positive life is a challenge – supporting people to achieve this is the purpose of Heartfelt House (HFH) in Wollongbar near Lismore.
The Herald | 15 June | Bathurst's St Stanislaus College confronted by former student>>
Victims need to be prioritised by institutions providing apologies
The Age | 8 June | Catholic schools ordered to stop kids' confession behind closed doors>>
Catholic schools have been ordered to stop hearing childrens' confessions behind closed doors, as Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart responds to new child safety rules.
The Newcastle Herald | 4 June | Tributes to Anthony Foster - a champion for truth, justice and integrity>>
THE Blue Knot Foundation has paid tribute to Anthony Foster – who championed the Newcastle Herald’s campaign for a child abuse royal commission – on the eve of his state funeral in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The Daily Telegraph | 1 June | We must encourage children to speak up when adults cross the line>>
ONE drunk man. One sleazy thought. One wandering hand. That’s all it took to fracture a part of me that harboured trust for others.
The Newcastle Herald | 11 May | Lake Macquarie Council slammed over photographs of Milton Orkopoulos and Douglas Carley>>
Portraits of two senior public officials who are convicted sex offenders remain hanging in the Lake Macquarie City Council chambers, to the outrage of advocates for survivors of abuse.
ABC | 10 May | National child sex abuse redress scheme gets budget allocation>>
The Federal Budget has allocated $33.4 million to the setting up of the national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. Supporters of the scheme have welcomed the funding and are urging the states, churches and charities to opt-in to the scheme.
ABC | 31 March | Final week of public hearings for Royal Commission into child sexual abuse>>
Since they began in 2013, there've been hearings into public and private schools, detention centres, out of home care, sporting clubs, dance and performing arts academies, the scouts and churches, including the Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, Jehovah's Witnesses and Salvation Army. Twelve-hundred witnesses have appeared. The Royal Commission's final report is due mid December.
The Newcastle Herald | 23 February | Catholics for Renewal president Peter Johnstone says Vatican diplomatic recognition is in question because of abuse crisis>>
A former senior federal and state government executive and leading Australian Catholic reform group president has backed calls for Australia to break diplomatic ties with the Vatican over the tragedy of child sexual abuse.
Pro Bono Australia | 30 January | Controversial Thriller Splits Audience Over Portrayal of DID>>
Mental health advocates are calling for an open conversation about Dissociative Identity Disorder in the wake of claims the new psychological thriller Split “stereotypes and sensationalises” those struggling with mental illness.
SBS | 26 January | "It's stigmatising": Doctor slams film 'Split' for multiple personality disorder portrayal>>
A leading Australian mental health expert has slammed the creators of the US horror film 'Split', saying it wrongfully portrays a debilitating multiple personality disorder.
The Australian | 17 January | Police chiefs planning to apologise to child-sex abuse victims>>
The nation’s police commissioners are set to make a historic apology to the victims of child-sex abuse in institutional care who were not believed when they reported these crimes or, worse, were returned to their abusers.