Nearly 400 Victorians taking legal action over alleged abuse at more than 200 schools

Nearly 400 Victorians are taking legal action over alleged abuse suffered at more than 200 state and private schools, prompting calls for a full statewide inquiry. See the full list.

Nearly 400 Victorians are taking legal action over alleged abuse at more than 200 state and private schools.

Nearly 400 Victorians are taking legal action over alleged abuse suffered at more than 200 state and private schools, prompting calls for a full statewide inquiry.

Nearly 100 more people have lodged claims with Arnold, Thomas & Becker Lawyers in the past six months, now covering more than one in 10 schools across the state.

More than half are government schools, including primary schools, with claimants potentially awarded millions of dollars in compensation rather than $150,000 from the state redress scheme.

Claims include abuse which allegedly took place as recently as 2019, with allegations against some perpetrators covering more than two decades.

The list now includes some of Victoria’s best known schools including Rosebud High School, which has had two new abuse victims coming forward in the past six months, bringing the total to ten.

Some of the schools with the highest number of alleged abuse victims involved with the firm include Brighton Grammar with 14, including two new cases, and Christian Brothers’ College (now Emmanuel College) which now has 13.

Brighton Grammar is among the schools with the highest number of alleged abuse victims.

St Patrick’s College in Ballarat now has eight potential abuse claimants, Cathedral College Melbourne has seven, and De La Salle College and St Joseph’s College in Geelong each have six cases.

State schools with new cases include Melton Special School (two in total), Monterey High School (one new case, bringing the number to four) and Ormond East Primary School (one new and two in total).

Other schools with new cases include Sacred Heart Primary, Jordanville Technical School, Lavalla Catholic College, Melton Special School, Woodend Primary and St Joseph’s College in Geelong.

Dozens of other law firms across the state are also receiving a large number of claims for other schools such as Cranbourne High School, St Bede’s College, Geelong College and Carey Grammar.

Former St Bede’s College students are being asked to come forward with any information over historical sexual abuse by a Christian brother. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Thousands of others from a range of settings including foster care, detention homes for children and homes for state wards have also made legal inquiries since the Herald Sun reported on the rising number of claims last August.

Arnold, Thomas & Becker head of abuse practice Kim Price said the government “can no longer turn a blind eye to the number of allegations which continue to be made”.

“It’s time the government formally called for the appointment of a parliamentary committee to prove the systematic sexual abuse of children in Victorian schools”.

He said some “schools failed to follow up on allegations, and in a number of cases, sought to

cover up reports of abuse”.

“We have also come across numerous instances where pedophile teachers in the state school system were moved between schools in an attempt to hide any issues,” Mr Price said.

The call comes as the Beaumaris Inquiry into historical child abuse has been expanded to include 24 other primary schools.

A Department of Education spokesman said: “We deeply regret and acknowledge the harm caused by any instance of child sexual abuse in a government school.”

“The Board of Inquiry was launched to investigate known instances of historical child sexual abuse at Beaumaris Primary - and we welcome the fact that more victim-survivors have come forward so we can ensure support and redress is available and provided.”

“We continue to encourage anyone who has experienced any form of abuse as a current or former student at a Victorian government school to report it to both the Department of Education and Victoria Police so perpetrators can be held to account and victims can access the support they need and deserve.”