Gang-rape victims fight for justice

Gang rape victim Katrina Keshishian shares the harrowing story of her attack with the 7:30 Report. Courtesy ABC/7:30 Report

Gang-rape victim Katrina Keshishian waited six years for compensation only to find the law had changed for budget cuts and her payout had been reduced retrospectively. Picture: ABC/Supplied Source: ABC

A CAMPAIGN for justice is gathering steam after gang-rape victim Katrina Keshishian bravely shared her story earlier this week.

The Sydney woman spoke out about a horror night in 2008 when three men took turns to rape her on the banks of a river — and then dumped her at a service station.

The men were jailed, but the nightmare continues for Miss Keshishian, 26, who has been saddled with expensive bills for the psychological treatment she needed to recover.

Six years on from the worst night of her life, she is still waiting for the compensation she is entitled to.

And to add insult to injury, changes to the law enacted last year means her entitlement has been slashed retrospectively from a maximum of $50,000 to only $15,000.

Miss Keshishian went public with her struggles on ABC current affairs program 7.30 this week, calling for her claim to be reassessed, and there has been a groundswell of support for her cause.

At time of writing, more than 86,000 people have signed her change.org petition and supporters have flooded the Facebook page of NSW Premier Mike Baird to lend their weight to her campaign.

"I've had a really good response, so I'm happy — not just for myself but I've had other victims share their stories," Miss Keshishian told news.com.au.

RELATED: 'I can see them laughing at me': Gang rape victim Katrina Keshishian speaks out

Katrina Keshishian is fighting for herself as well as for other victims of crime. Picture: ABC/Supplied Source: ABC

NSW Justice Minister Brad Hazzard said the Victims Compensation Fund was changed because the funding model was unsustainable.

"It's almost unbelievable that there can be animals out there that do these sort of things to people but at the end of the day we have to make sure that we are providing a scheme, a system, that is sustainable, financially for the state," he told 7.30.

Miss Keshishian was unimpressed with Mr Hazzard's response.

"I thought it was disgusting, that they're just trying to save money, while at the same time they are giving $100 million to the racing industry," she said. A spokesperson for Mr Baird told news.com.au that this was not true.

"It's felt like I've been abandoned all over again by the government with their response to hearing my story," she said.

"For six years they left me cruelly waiting for help as my life fell apart and then they cut support — now they're making excuses about funding sustainability."

She called on Mr Baird to step in to help victims.

"Premier Baird could fix this for not just me, but the thousands of rape victims and victims of violent crime, in a heartbeat if he wanted to," she said.

"I can't help but wonder if it would be different if it were Premier Baird or another politician's daughter in my situation. I don't think they'd be left in a living nightmare, unsupported for six years in debt trying to recover from a gang rape.

"I just don't understand how this government could think that this law is OK, that treating anyone so cruelly is OK.

"Seventy thousand people agree with me, Premier; this legislation is cruel and you need to fix it. How much longer will you leave people to suffer?"

Katrina Keshishian hopes to pressure politicians to reassess laws surrounding victims of crime. Source: Supplied

Miss Keshishian's story has sparked other victims to speak out.

News.com.au reader Melinda was sexually assaulted in the yard of her house in early 2011 by an unknown man, which had a "catastrophic effect" on her psychologically.

"The depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and anxiety have left me a mess with no relationship and little in the way of friends. Even the best of friends are challenged when this stuff happens," she said.

Her compensation entitlement has also been slashed from a maximum of $50,000 to $15,000.

Her bills for treatment are about $2700 a month, so her payout would barely cover five months.

"I'm paying $2700 a month in therapy and medicine just to survive, just keeping me going, not actually living," the Sydney woman told news.com.au.

"It would be nice for the legislation to be rolled back, especially for people like (Miss Keshishian) and me who filed in time.

"To (cut funding to) victims of crime is an incredibly low blow. I would like the people who changed the laws to read my statement and then tell me, 'You are only worth $15,000'.

"I can't afford to move and, when I get home from work every day it's that constant reminder.

"The compensation was meant to give me the leverage to get out.

"It's all well and good, I can understand that the government's broke, but we did absolutely nothing to deserve this, but we have to live with this, not only emotional, but financial toll."

Katrina Keshishian has grown strong enough over the past six years to speak out about her struggles. Picture: ABC/Supplied Source: ABC

Other victims have commented on Miss Keshishian's petition to lend their support.

Another victim of gang rape wrote that the "pitiful amount" she received didn't come close to meeting the cost of her ongoing therapy and medication.

"So proud of this woman for standing up. I wish I had have … Rape is often a life sentence in terms of recovery. I hope by signing I can help make a difference," she wrote.

Miss Keshishian ultimately wants the government to reassess her case under the old scheme.

"I would like to be actually assessed as I would've been back then. And I want it for everyone else, not just for myself. Everyone else has been through something, too. They deserve it," she said.

"In the last six months to two years, I've become strong enough to talk to the media. Before that, with the depression and anxiety attacks, I wasn't able to hold down a job for years, I hadn't been able to pay taxes. It stunted my growth as a person.

"I hope a lot more victims speak up because the more and more people who sign, (the government) are going to have to start taking notice. I'm asking them to stand up and tell their story so we can make a change."

Justice Minister Brad Hazzard says the previous victims' compensation scheme was unsustainable. Picture: John Appleyard Source: News Corp Australia

A spokeswoman for Mr Hazzard said the Victims Compensation Fund was changed in 2013 to focus more on providing support, rather than a lump-sum payment.

She pointed to a PricewaterhouseCoopers review of the fund from 2012 that found that the scheme was "financially unsustainable within current funding constraints".

"The scheme has an escalating number of victims pursuing compensation and counselling, while the funding available to meet those claims remains unchanged," the report states.

"Consequently, the determination of claims has slowed, with claims taking more than 25 months between lodgement and determination."

The report predicted that the accumulated liability for lodged but unresolved claims would have blown out to $430 million by July 2013.

The new scheme is focused on helping victims soon after the act of violence to deliver the best outcomes quickly.

You can sign Miss Keshishian's petition here.

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