The Victorian Government has formally acknowledging victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in public schools, with new Premier and Minister for Education, Ben Carroll, delivering a formal apology in Parliament House today.
The Premier said the apology recognises the impacts of child sexual abuse on victim-survivors and their families – including the fundamental trust broken in the state’s schools.
“We are deeply sorry for the systemic failures that allowed abuse to occur. Students were not believed and their abusers were not held to account,” said Mr Carroll.
“We cannot undo the harm caused, but we are learning from these failures and continuing to strengthen child safety in Victorian schools.”
He said the apology has been informed by victim-survivors’ experiences shared through the Forum for Truth and Recognition and the Beaumaris Board of Inquiry and was also shaped by the observations documented in the Systemic Review into historical child sexual abuse in Victorian public schools.
In response to the Board of Inquiry, the Government established a range of supports for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in government schools. These include a dedicated website and phone line, a restorative engagement program and improved access to personal information and records.
For more information on support options and services available for victim-survivors, visit vic.gov.au/victim-survivor-support-former-students.
