Podcast Summary: Australian True Crime

Episode: Should Sex Offenders Keep Their Super? Re-Issue
Release Date: March 25, 2026
Host: Meshel Laurie (Bravecasting)
Guests: Andrew Carpenter (lawyer and advocate), Adam Washburn (Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia)

Episode Overview

This special reissue revisits a pivotal 2022 episode, timed with the Albanese government’s introduction of the “Survivors Law.” The law aims to prevent convicted child sex abusers from shielding superannuation assets from victim compensation claims, making it easier for survivors to pursue financial redress—even if offenders declare bankruptcy. Host Meshel Laurie is joined by guests Andrew Carpenter and Adam Washburn, both at the forefront of advocacy for legal reform, to discuss the urgent need for systemic change and why financial accountability is crucial for both justice and prevention.

Key Discussion Themes and Insights

1. Why Superannuation Law Reform Is Critical

[00:04–06:06]

• Current loophole: Convicted sex offenders can currently protect their superannuation from being accessed for court-ordered compensation, leaving survivors financially unsupported while offenders can rebuild lives post-release.
• Taxpayer burden: Survivors often cannot work due to trauma, relying on government benefits. “A lot of people from the ages of 18 until death are on Centrelink. They get housing benefits, they get pharmaceutical benefits because they just can’t work and all of that has been paid by the taxpayer.” (Andrew Carpenter, [02:24])
• Advocate frustration: Politicians and the public are largely unaware of the issue, and political will has been lacking: "Every politician I’ve spoken to at the first instance had no idea about this proposed legislation." (Andrew Carpenter, [02:59])
• Redress schemes: The National Redress Scheme helps survivors, but contributions from offenders are negligible: “The taxpayers have put in almost $12.5 billion into the redress scheme. And guess how much is costing the offenders? Nothing.” (Andrew Carpenter, [03:41])

2. Financial Hit as Deterrence and Restitution

[04:10–09:02]

• Behavior change: Removing financial safety nets like super could be a true deterrent: “If we start seeing people that have their life savings up for grabs when something like this happens, it should hopefully put a stop to it.” (Andrew Carpenter, [04:42])
• Legal tactics by offenders: Offenders often use assets to pay legal fees, leaving nothing for survivors after lawsuits. “They mortgage their house, get the best lawyers possible and try to deplete all their assets. Then when it comes to suing them... you can’t touch me.” (Andrew Carpenter, [06:06])
• Narcissism and lack of remorse: Offenders deflect blame, diminish impact: “He had the goal to say, ‘She is ruining my life’… That’s just the attitude pedophiles show.” (Andrew Carpenter, [06:54])

3. Systemic Challenges for Survivors

[09:02–14:38]

• Delayed reporting: On average, it takes 33 years for survivors to come forward. (Mulligan Inquiry finding, [09:06])
• Evidentiary barriers: Prosecuting historic abuse is difficult given the high standard of proof in criminal courts, compounded by trauma-related memory loss: “If someone said to you, what were you doing on June 9, 1993? You have no idea.” (Andrew Carpenter, [10:34])
• Lifelong consequences: Survivors live with significant injury—physically, psychologically, and financially—a recurring theme in moving stories shared by Carpenter.

4. The Case for No-Brainer Reform

[14:38–16:34]

• Victims' limited paths: Compensation is often only available after a conviction, which is rare.
• Superannuation as an untapped resource: “Almost everyone who’s worked since the 80s has some level of super… The time has gone where people can wave their hands in the air and say, ‘I’ve got nothing’.” (Andrew Carpenter, [14:38])
• Comparisons to crime proceeds legislation: “They can strip assets from a drug dealer pretty quickly… why not here?” (Host, [16:21])

5. Real-World Cases and Advocacy Push

[16:34–18:31]

• Maurice van Rijn example: CEO protected $9 million in super before jail, essentially immune to survivor compensation ([16:34])
• Advocacy efforts: Collaborations between Fighters Against Childhood Abuse Australia, Carly Ryan Foundation, and with high-profile advocate Grace Tame, have amplified the campaign—“As of last week, I got myself a nuke. Grace Tame has now come on board.” (Andrew Carpenter, [17:30])

6. The Role of Civil versus Criminal Actions

[19:25–23:34]

• Redress even without conviction: “It’s not even if they’re convicted… If someone has a civil action against an offender… it should be up for distribution then.” (Andrew Carpenter, [19:25])
• **Civil courts offer a lower burden of proof, making compensation more likely even when criminal convictions aren’t secured.

7. Scope and Scale of the Problem in Australia

[23:34–25:41]

• Australia’s disproportionate representation: “It feels like whenever they bust a big international ring… Australians feel like they’re at the top of the tree.” (Host, [23:34])
• Escalation: Not just isolated incidents; offenders are frequently found with extensive collections of child abuse material ([24:20])

8. Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia (Adam Washburn)

[28:16–37:56]

• Origins and ethos: Started as a loose organization of people helping child survivors through mentorship, martial arts, and physical activity as non-traditional recovery methods.
• Growth: Expanded into anti-bullying, legal reform, court support—including even a support dog ([29:16–32:15])
• Language reform: Advocacy helped shift terminology from “child porn” to “child exploitation material,” reinforcing that all such material is criminal. “Porn implies consent… Children have no clue why they’re there.” (Adam Washburn, [33:14])
• Low sentencing concern: Sentences for abuse material are incongruously light given the severity of harm ([34:15–34:59])
• Collaboration: Adam credits Andrew Carpenter’s energy and legal focus for driving the campaign for super reform ([35:15–36:28])
• Breaking the cycle: The organization's goal is to help survivors regain dignity, financial freedom, and the ability to thrive beyond trauma ([40:51–41:24])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On survivor advocacy:
  “Not only will you lose your freedom and your liberty, you will lose everything you’ve worked for.”
  — Andrew Carpenter, [20:37]

• On language reform:
  “Porn implies consent… Children have no clue why they’re there. It’s just either abuse or exploitation.”
  — Adam Washburn, [33:14]

• On system inertia:
  “It started as an idea not to take their super and leave them broke… So they couldn't just go, ‘No, I got nothing. Here’s 50 grand, go away.’”
  — Adam Washburn, [42:41]

• On policy stagnation:
  “Kelly O’Dwyer literally made an announcement, we’re doing this… nothing [happened].”
  — Adam Washburn, [43:49]

• On the burden survivors bear:
  “You’re handing a child effectively a life sentence when a pedophile abuses them.”
  — Andrew Carpenter, [12:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------| | 00:04 | Introduction and context for law reform | | 01:14 | Andrew’s entry into advocacy | | 03:41 | Institutional redress vs. offender accountability | | 06:06 | Legal maneuvers by offenders | | 09:02 | Delayed survivor disclosure; Mulligan Inquiry | | 12:01 | Survivor trauma and lifelong impacts | | 14:38 | Compensation via civil courts; victim limitations | | 16:34 | The Maurice van Rijn case | | 19:25 | Difference between civil and criminal process | | 23:34 | Australia’s scale of the problem | | 28:16 | Adam Washburn joins; Fighters Against Child Abuse | | 33:14 | Language reform (“child abuse material”) | | 34:15 | Sentencing disparities for abuse material | | 40:51 | Empowerment and dignity for survivors | | 42:41 | The roadblocks to superannuation reform |

Conclusion

This episode laid bare the profound legal and systemic obstacles survivors face in seeking justice and financial support. The introduction of the Survivors Law is presented as long-overdue, practical reform. The blend of legal insight (Andrew) and survivor-focused support (Adam) underlines the need for both justice and healing, revealing how legislative change could shift the landscape from survivor disenfranchisement to meaningful accountability.

For more information or to support the campaign, listeners are directed to show notes and the Fighters Against Childhood Abuse Australia petition.

Content Warnings: Graphic descriptions of abuse and violence.
Support lines: Lifeline (13 11 14); 1800 Respect (1800 737 732); 13 Yarn (139 276 for Indigenous Australians).