Inquiry into child sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary School set to expand to investigate 18 schools

A special inquiry into historic child sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary School is set to investigate alleged offending at 17 other Victorian schools.

A special inquiry is probing alleged historic sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary School. Picture: Ian Currie

A special inquiry set up to investigate historic child sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary School is set to investigate alleged offending at another 17 schools.

However the inquiry’s chair, Kathleen Foley, SC, has warned she will be restricted from probing any abuse that didn’t have a link to the Beaumaris school.

Ms Foley officially opened the Board of Inquiry into historical child sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary and certain other government schools for submissions on Thursday.

But she said while the scope of the inquiry extended beyond only Beaumaris Primary, it would be limited.

“The current terms of reference require a link to Beaumaris in the sense that there needs to be a relevant employee who was at Beaumauris and engaged in child sexual abuse, (or) if those people were at other schools either prior to their time at Beaumaris or afterwards.”

One convicted paedophile and two other alleged offenders have already been identified as key to the inquiry.

A special inquiry probing alleged historic sex abuse at Beaumaris Primary School will also investigate offending at another 17 schools. Picture: Ian Currie

“There have been differing views and opinions about how widely this inquiry should cast its net,” Ms Foley said.

“We are working within the terms of reference set by government and we will focus our efforts on the tasks given to us by government.

Sandringham Liberal MP, Brad Rowswell, who has repeatedly called for a full-scale parliamentary inquiry, said the inquiry didn’t go far enough.

“It is now clear that similar crimes have allegedly been committed across the state – so why have the terms of reference for the Board of Inquiry not been expanded,” he said.

“As drafted, the terms of reference are too narrow and don’t explicitly allow for victim survivors from other communities to be heard. The abuse that allegedly occurred in my community is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Multiple inquiries, including the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, have largely ignored offending in government schools.

The Victorian Parliament’s 2013 report into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations did not include government organisations.

Daniel Andrews gave a commitment that the inquiry’s terms of references would be broad to investigate the Department of Education’s handling of abuse cases. Picture: Ian Currie

“We know that child sexual abuse is not isolated to one location, and we know that there are victim survivors across the state who deserve to have the opportunity to have their voices heard also,” Mr Rowswell said.

“To give some victim survivors the opportunity for their voices to be heard and stories told, while not extending that opportunity to everyone, is just not right.

“If the Premier truly means what he says — “We see you. We hear you. We believe you.” - then he will extend the scope of this Board of Inquiry to every Victorian government school and every Victorian government school victim survivor. Anything less than this is unacceptable.”

Announcing the inquiry in June, Daniel Andrews gave a commitment that its terms of references would be broad to investigate the Department of Education’s handling of abuse cases, as well as historic abuse at other schools.

“The Department (of Education) is absolutely in scope,” he said.

“The terms of reference do not prohibit this inquiry going further and looking at other schools if need be. If the evidence takes the inquiry there, that’s where the inquiry will go.

“This is very much a starting point and no one for a moment is suggesting there have not been other instances of abuse. There of course have been.

“It can become broader and I expect it will.”

A report is due to be provided to government by February 28 next year.

Ms Foley said while the timeframe was “tight” she was confident of reporting on time.