Sally* was three years old when the Department of Community Services (DoCS) was notified she had been sexually abused, leaving her with vaginal trauma.

The report was investigated by a caseworker.

The report outcome: "Confirmed, referred, closed."

This was just one of 56 'risk of significant harm' notifications DoCS received from the time she was a baby, and before she was removed from her home at 13.

During that time, other reports included multiple incidents where she was subjected to alleged sexual abuse and domestic violence, inadequate housing and poor nutrition.

Since 2017 when the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse handed down its report – there has been a surge in survivors coming forward and fighting for compensation.

7.30 can reveal a 940 per cent increase in the number of child abuse matters filed against the state government in the NSW Supreme Court over the last five years.

Kamin Gock reports.

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