St Joseph’s primary school students urged to come forward over historic abuse allegations

Former students from several Victorian Catholic primary schools are being asked to come forward with information about historic child sex abuse allegations.

Former students who attended St Joseph’s Catholic primary schools have been asked to come forward with information about historic abuse.

Former students who attended several Catholic Victorian primary schools are being asked to come forward with information about historic child sex abuse.

The Herald Sun can reveal former students who attended primary schools including St Joseph’s School in Wyndham Vale, Orbost, Trafalgar, Ouyen, Birchip and Immaculate Heart in Stratford, have been asked to come forward with information about allegations of abuse.

The alleged abuse occurred between 1976 to 1996.

Maurice Blackburn, who is investigating the allegations, has asked former students to come forward with any information.

John Rule, who is a principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn and leads its Victorian abuse law practice, which specialises in helping survivors of childhood abuse, said the law firm was trying to find out more information about a perpetrator who taught at these schools.

“One of our client’s matters is well progressed and has court proceedings on foot, but the defendant in that case who was responsible for running one of these schools is still denying liability,” Mr Rule said.

Maurice Blackburn lawyer John Rule said they wanted to gather information about the alleged perpertrator of sex abuse.

“While we’re confident about the case and preparing for trial, we want to reach out as many witnesses as we can that might have relevant evidence or information.”

Mr Rule said most of the abuse was alleged to have occurred on school grounds.

“It’s horrible what has happened to our client and what has happened to all other children that have been abused in a setting where they should have been able to trust their teachers and their schools.

“It’s so important that if people out there know something and feel strong enough to come forward even anonymously, that can be really helpful.”

A Catholic Education spokesman said the safety and wellbeing of children was its highest priority.

“Any person with any concerns about harm to a child, past or present, is encouraged to report these to Victoria police,” he said.

The invitation to come forward comes as dozens of historic settlements are being overturned in favour of payouts in the millions as the legal position of victims evolves.

In 2021, a former student at St Joseph’s Primary in Ouyen, who was abused by the parish priest Gregory Coffey in the 1970s, had an earlier $45,000 confidential settlement supplemented by a $650,000 court payment.

The Supreme Court ruled the earlier amount was not taken into account because of the benefit the church obtained by the condition of confidentiality.

The Catholic Church is under increasing pressure to fund hundreds of payouts, including those it had already settled for minor sums.

The Christian Brothers alone have spent $363m in legal expenses and litigation claims in the past five years and schools and churches admit the exposure to future losses can’t be calculated.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found the average age of the victim of historical sexual abuse was ten. Most were abused between 1950 and 1979 and received an average of $64,000 in payouts.

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