Historic child abuse inquiry expanded to investigate 24 primary schools

The Beaumaris Inquiry into historical child abuse has been expanded to include 24 primary schools in Melbourne and across Victoria.

The Beaumaris Inquiry into historical child abuse has been expanded to include 24 primary schools in Victoria.

The Beaumaris Inquiry into historical child abuse has been expanded to include 24 primary schools in Melbourne and across Victoria.

Three alleged perpetrators are now under investigation, including Gary Arthur Mitchell. Grahame (Graham) Harold Steele and David Ernest Keith MacGregor.

These three men are former teachers at Beaumaris Primary School and other government schools.

In June, the Beaumaris Primary inquiry was announced to establish a public record of victim-survivors of staff at the school in the 1960s and 1970s.

Former Justice Party MP Stuart Grimley discovered through a Freedom of Information claim that almost 400 civil claims in 12 years had been made against the state government for historic child sexual abuse in its schools.

Mr Grimley discovered almost 400 civil claims in 12 years had been made against the state government for historic child sexual abuse in schools. Picture: Nicki Connolly

It comes after the Herald Sun revealed earlier this month almost 300 former students of 180 Victorian schools were pursuing historic child abuse claims, with each victim potentially due to receive a multimillion-dollar payout.

These include claims against more than 70 state schools.

Full list of schools under inquiry

• Bundalong South Primary School (now closed)

• Chelsea Heights Primary School

• Cowes Primary School

• Drouin South Primary School

• Kunyung Primary School

• Warragul Primary School

• Beaumaris Primary School

• Moorabbin (Tucker Road) Primary School, now Tucker Road Bentleigh Primary School

• Mount View Primary School

• Warragul Technical School, now Warragul Regional College

• Dandenong North Primary School

• Dandenong West Primary School

• Beaconsfield Upper Primary School

• Mirboo Primary School, now Mirboo North Primary School

• Emerald Primary School

• Cranbourne Primary School

• Bunyip Primary School

• Tarwin Lower Primary School

• Hampton Primary School

• Aspendale Primary School

• Belvedere Park Primary School

• Ormond East PS now McKinnon Primary School

• Tarraville Primary School (now closed)

• Moorabbin West Primary School (now closed)

The Inquiry has also extended the submission deadline until 31 October 2023.

This extension is intended to provide further time for victim-survivors to share their experiences and for others to consider the relevance of this new information to their submissions.