In 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that a royal commission would be held to investigate the institutional responses to allegations or incidents of child sexual abuse. The Royal Commission ran for five years, and heard statements from nearly 8000 survivors. Nearly one third of the survivors told the Royal Commission they were abused in an institution under government management, most commonly schools, out-of-home care, youth detention and healthcare facilities. [1]
"The Royal Commission has heard from countless survivors about their painful experiences with poor records and recordkeeping practices in institutions. Many have told us that they had difficulty accessing records, including those who were unable to find records about themselves."
"The consultation paper revealed that good recordkeeping practices contribute to survivors' sense of identity, knowledge of past experience and memories and information about their families, culture and community. Good records and recordkeeping practices also assist in better handling of child sexual abuse complaints, redress and criminal proceedings." [2]
At the completion of the Royal Commission in 2017, a seventeen volume Final Report was handed down.
Volume 8 Recordkeeping and information sharing examines recordkeeping and information sharing in institutions. Five recommendations were made to improve recordkeeping practice and help organisations make sure they are safe for children.