Commission of Inquiry Tasmania: sexual abuse support services warn of 'spikes' in demand

Now, as victim-survivors of child sexual begin to share their story as part of Tasmania's Commission of Inquiry, the not-for-profit has warned it's very likely more people will reach out for assistance.

The submissions process for Tasmania's Commission of Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse opened on Thursday.

With powers equal to that of a Royal Commission, it marks the first held in Tasmania since 1992.

As victim-survivors prepare to come forward with their stories, Laurel House acting chief executive Frances Pratt said it was important they know support is available.

"Some of the details [of the Commission] will be confronting for people, whether or not they are affected by sexual abuse or not," she said.

"We are really conscious that there are a lot of people in our community who would like to access support, but perhaps don't know where to go.

"We've recorded an increase of twice as many new clients since this time six months ago, who have been referred into our service.

"We've been very busy, but we've also increased our service delivery hours so we can meet the demand."

The aim of the inquiry is to investigate child sexual abuse within the state service and explore ways the government can better protect Tasmanian children into the future.

This includes examining the handling, prevention and reporting of child sexual abuse relating to former Launceston General Hospital paediatric nurse James Geoffrey Griffin, along with public sector employees within the Education Department and Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

A spokesperson for the Commission said they wanted to hear from victim-survivors to understand their accounts "so that we can make recommendations about what can be done better to protect children in the future".

"People who participate in the Commission's processes will have the protections of those who speak with royal commissions," they said.

"Our work will be guided by trauma-informed care principles - safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment."

The Commission will have 16 months to conduct its inquiry, with a report and recommendations due in August next year.

The spokesperson said its processes were designed to gather information and insights from victim-survivors and members of the community.

"People wishing to talk to the Commission have the option of making a submission, attending a community consultation or participating in private sessions.

"The Commission will be travelling to different parts of Tasmania to talk to people about their views on the issues and problems, and what should be done to address them. Public hearings will also commence later in the year."

Research shows that times of increased media coverage of sexual assault results in more people seeking support, or wishing to disclose their own experiences.

Amid a growing national discourse around sexual abuse, Ms Pratt said it was likely the heightened demand being experienced by a number of support organisations would continue to grow.

"I think the increase [in demand] has come from the variety of sources ... it's not considered an isolated issue, I don't believe, by the community," she said.

"As a society we realise now it's so widespread, it can impact any organisation, workplace or institution.

"As people become aware of the regularity, unfortunately, of the incidents of sexual abuse, we are going to see ... spikes when there are instances that are really public.

"But also, if it normalises the conversation around 'this has happened and there are supports available', then we ideally want it to be a more effective service to people."