New Rules for Holding Institutions Responsible for Child Abuse
Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liability for Child Abuse) Bill 2025
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Introduced by: The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP (ALP); The Hon Enver Erdogan MLC (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Renee Heath LIB
“I rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liabilityfor Child Abuse) Bill 2025. The coalition will not be opposing this bill. I want to beclearaboutwhywearetakingthatposition,and Iwanttobeequallyclearabouttheseriousconcerns that we hold. I will start with what matters most, and that is the victims. Child abuse is one of the most devastating crimes that can ever be committed.”
Katherine Copsey GRN
“I rise on behalf of the Victorian Greens to support and speak in support of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liability for Child Abuse) Bill 2025. I wanttobegin mycontribution byacknowledging victim-survivors of institutional childsexualabuse,thosewhohavefoughtfordecades tobeheard,tobebelievedandtoaccessjustice in systems that too often retraumatise rather than repair.”
Jacinta Ermacora ALP
“I am very pleased as a Labor government member of Parliament to speak on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liability for Child Abuse)Bill 2025.Mediacoverageof thistopicwillbedistressingforthousandsofsurvivorsofsexual abuse and, in particular, survivors of the Catholic system’s abuse. I thank all survivors for their strength.”
Evan Mulholland LIB
“I too rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Amendment(Vicarious Liabilityfor Child Abuse)Bill 2025.Iriseandsayfromtheoutset and make it clear that the Liberals and Nationals will not be opposing this bill. Most importantly, this is a significant dayfor victims.”
Ryan Batchelor ALP
“I am very pleased to rise to speak in support of and actively support this Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liability for Child Abuse) Bill 2025. Child abuse leaves indelible suffering on those who are the innocent victims of it – vulnerable, defenceless.”
“I too rise to make a very small contribution today on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Vicarious Liability for Child Abuse) Bill2025.”
Rachel Payne LCV
“I rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Amendment(Vicarious Liabilityfor Child Abuse)Bill 2025 on behalf of Legalise Cannabis Victoria. I rise to speak on this issue for a range of reasons. It is personal to me. Like a lot of us, I have many peoplenearanddeartomewhoaresurvivors.Iknowthepainanddeepsufferingthatabusebytrusted adults causes victim-survivors.”
Georgie Purcell AJP
“I rise to makea brief contribution on the Justice Legislation Amendment(Vicarious Liabilityfor Child Abuse) Bill 2025. This is abillthatwillfinally makerightsomethingthatwasincrediblywrong.Iwanttobeginbyacknowledgingallofthesurvivors who are with us in the gallery today and all of those watching through the live stream online.”
John Berger ALP
“I rise to lend my voice to supportthe billbefore the chamber today. This bill addresses the legal and practical consequences of the High Court’s decision in Bird v DP and ensures that victim-survivors of child abuse retain meaningful access to civil justice. This bill responds to specific gaps identified in the legislation; it is limited and targeted.”
Jeff Bourman Shoot
“I rise to speak in support of this, because who could not? This bill is one of those bills I feel should never have happened, and if the church had have got Tuesday17 February2026 Legislative Council 333 their act together, we would not have needed it. It should not have gone to the High Court.”
“I move: Thatthehousedonow adjourn. Housing Jacinta ERMACORA(Western Victoria - 17:30):(2298)Myadjournment matter this evening is forthe Ministerfor Planning Sonya Kilkenny.Australian Bureauof Statisticsdatashowsthat Victoria isbuildingthousands morehomesthananyotherstate.Theaction Iseekisanupdateonhowplanning reforms are increasing housing supply and improving affordabilityfor young Victorians.”
Michael Galea ALP
“(2301) My adjournment is for the Minister for Mental Health, and the action I am seeking is that the minister update me on how the government is supporting Victorians to more easily and appropriately access diagnosis for ADHD. We already know that thanks to the PBS individuals with diagnosed ADHD can receive low-cost prescriptions for these conditions.”
Aiv Puglielli GRN
“(2303) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Work Safe and the TAC, and the action I seek is that Work Cover agents be held accountable for their actions when it comes to duty of care. I am again before the chamber sharing wordsofaninjuredworkerwhohasengagedwithmyoffice.”
Moira Deeming Famil
“(2305) My question is for the Premier, and the action I seek is that the government support our proposal for follow-the-money powers for IBAC as well as properly fund it. If there is one burning question all Victorians have, it is surely: where did all of our money go? This government love to cut ribbons and make announcements, but let us be ADJOURNMENT honest.”
Trung Luu LIB
“(2308) My adjournment matter is for Minister for Corrections regarding the safety of female inmates in Victorian female-only correctional facilities. Recent reports have surfaced about the Allan Labor government’s secret payout to a female prisoner who was sexuallyassaulted by atransgender inmateincarcerated for murder.”
Sarah Mansfield GRN
“(2309) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action I seek is for a moratorium to be placed on new data centres in Victoria until mandatory standards are developed to ensure they do not negatively impact our waterways or drive up water bills for Victorian households.”
Sonja Terpstra ALP
“(2310) My adjournment matter this evening is for the minister for transport in the other place, and the action I seek is for the minister to ADJOURNMENT provide an update on how the community can have their say and help shape the designs for the Ruthven Street, Macleod, level crossing removal project.”
Georgie Crozier LIB
“(2314) My adjournment matter is for the attentionofthe Premier.The Premierhasbeenunderenormouspressureoverthelastfewdaysbecause I think every Victorian can see that she is not telling the truth. In fact she is covering up and she is reallynotbeing up-front with the Victorian public around this appalling $15 billion CFMEU scandal.”
Wendy Lovell LIB
“(2316) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roadsand Road Safety,andtheaction Iseekisfortheministertoexpeditethestartofconstruction of an upgraded and signalised intersection at the Kialla West Primary School.”