A victim of convicted pedophile Maurice Van Ryn is advocating for legal reforms to close a loophole that prevents victims from receiving compensation if their abuser declares bankruptcy. Edan van Haren, who was 14 when he began experiencing repeated sexual abuse in 2010 at Van Ryn's home in New South Wales, shared his story in hopes of prompting change.

"It's like the age-old saying that if someone in a van gives you candy, don't go inside," said Mr. van Haren, now 29 and living in Adelaide. He described Van Ryn as someone who groomed those around him while hiding his true nature. "He groomed everybody, but behind closed doors he was a monster."

Van Ryn, the former head of Bega Cheese, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2015 for abusing nine boys and girls since 2003. After Mr. van Haren disclosed the abuse to his family in 2016, it took him two more years to report it to the police. In 2019, Van Ryn pleaded guilty to the charges and received an additional nine-year sentence. He is eligible for parole in April 2029.

In July 2023, Mr. van Haren was awarded $1.4 million in damages by the New South Wales Supreme Court, following an initial offer of $25,000 from Van Ryn's legal team. However, he has yet to receive any compensation. Earlier this year, Van Ryn declared bankruptcy, exploiting a legal loophole that allows offenders to avoid victim payouts while safeguarding their superannuation assets. Current laws prevent accessing superannuation for victim compensation.

Mr. van Haren is urging lawmakers to amend the laws to ensure that debts related to child sexual assault claims remain intact even after bankruptcy. "The court put a value on what he did to me, and I knew this would be a risk and that I would have to effectively change Australian law to be able to get anything out of it," he stated.

A spokesperson for the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Daniel Mulino, indicated that the federal government is cautious about rushing into legislative changes. "This is a very sensitive policy area with vulnerable stakeholders involved," the spokesperson said. "Policy design requires careful consideration to ensure we get the policy right. Rushed implementation risks causing confusion or placing administrative burden on victims that the proposal is intended to help."

Adelaide barrister and victims advocate Andrew Carpenter has been pushing for changes to the Bankruptcy Act, which currently protects superannuation as an asset. "It could be as simple as six words in the Act, and the government knows it's being used as a loophole and they're doing nothing," Carpenter said. He criticized the government for prioritizing taxation of superannuation over addressing the issue of compensation for victims.

Nationals MP Alison Penfold has taken up the cause after being contacted by Mr. van Haren's grandmother, Carolyn Kelly. She has written to the treasurer about the need for urgent changes to the Act and is considering introducing a private member's bill. Penfold hopes the legislation will be known as Edan's Law.

"The issue here is that under the current law, if Van Ryn doesn't come out of bankruptcy by December next year, then the debt is extinguished and he's no longer liable for its payment," Penfold said. "That just seems completely ridiculous. It means making a very simple change to the Act that is not huge but very effective."