Students at a Victorian primary school at the centre of a probe into historical child sexual abuse threatened to reveal that teachers were preying on children, a former pupil has told an inquiry.
On Tuesday, a Victorian investigation into allegations of historical child sexual abuse at Melbourne’s Beaumaris primary school and 23 others heard from a former student who alleges he was abused by former teacher Grahame Steele three times during the 1960s. On one occasion, the inquiry heard, he was abused after Steele and another adult had taken a group of boys to a holiday house.
The former student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the inquiry that he met with a group of former pupils about 10 years ago. They said some of them had threatened to report the alleged abuse when they were sent to the principal’s office for misbehaving.
“The students would tell the principal that they knew what was going on between the teachers and students, and threatened to tell someone [outside the school] if they were disciplined,” he told the inquiry.
“I was shocked and angry when I heard that some people knew what was going on.”
The former student said some staff at Beaumaris knew about the alleged abuse and “did nothing”.
“I want to know whether there was a network of teachers abusing students and if they were working together,” he told the inquiry.
“How did they end up at Beaumaris primary school? How were they allowed to continue with nothing being done at the time?”
He said he had recently told his family and children about the alleged abuse and supported a proposal for a public apology to those affected.
Before he resigned as premier, Daniel Andrews pledged to deliver a formal apology to recognise abuse victim-survivors who attended Beaumaris primary school, and described the abuse as “vile, evil and incredibly damaging”.
The apology will be separate to a wider apology the government is due to deliver later this year that will recognise historical child abuse in institutional care settings like orphanages.
On Tuesday Dr Katie Wright, associate professor of sociology at Latrobe University, told the inquiry that euphemisms about child sexual abuse, including phrases like “interfered with”, were common during the 1960s and 1970s, leading to stigma and confusion.
“There is still an element of this today, but much less so,” she said.
Wright, whose research has focused on public inquiries into historical institutional abuse, said during the 1980s a greater public understanding of sexual abuse against boys emerged due to allegations against the Catholic church.
The inquiry previously named three alleged perpetrators who were former Beaumaris teachers – Steele, Gary Mitchell – who has been sentenced five times for child sexual abuse offences and David MacGregor.
It is due to report to the government by the end of February.
In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
