An amendment passed the Victorian Legislative Council on Thursday to expunge historical criminal records given to Aboriginal children who were removed from their families.
It follows last year which brought attention to the issue, with Taungurung man Uncle Larry Walsh revealing the criminal record he was given when he was two had devastating lifelong consequences.
His story moved Victorian Greens MP Nina Springle to introduce a private member’s bill to remove those records.
“There are many, particularly Aboriginal people, who were in state care, who were criminalised for being in state care," Ms Springle told NITV News.
"We’re still seeking a state apology for the people who are caught up in this injustice,” she said
“I still feel very strongly that should be reimbursement, reparation, financial reparation for people who have often suffered lifelong trauma because of these injustices and that’s never been reconciled, so this is a first step.”
Another issue uncovered was that some people were given criminal records for crimes they were actually the victims of.
“Often some, particularly women, were charged with a criminal offence for the very abuse they were victims of," Ms Springle said.
"And so this bill seeks to one correct those records, or change the records from a criminal offence and seeks to expunge that criminal offence."
