The head of Victoria’s education department has apologised for its “catastrophic failures” in protecting children who suffered historical sexual abuse in government schools.
Jenny Atta, the department’s secretary, appeared before an inquiry investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at 24 government schools during the 1960s to 1990s on Friday morning.
She told the inquiry she was “profoundly sorry” for the “shocking abuse and injury” inflicted upon victim-survivors, saying it should never have occurred.
“I deeply regret the catastrophic failures of the government school system and the Department of Education,” she told the inquiry.
“Our schools and the Department of Education failed to protect you when you were a child.”
Atta acknowledged harm was not just caused by abusers, but could also be caused by a lack of response from those in authority.
“The response left victims, and those seeking to protect them, powerless and enabled the abuse of children to continue and to spread,” she said.
She said it was vital that public institutions were accountable for their history.
“I have heard how many victim-survivors felt unable to disclose their abuse,” she said.
Atta told the inquiry that a historical absence of policies to respond to allegations of abuse and a lack of training for teachers to identify warning signs were major failings.
“While there were processes that could have been used to remove the perpetrator from the teaching service, these were rarely if ever used.”
The inquiry previously heard there was evidence of the department transferring teachers to other public schools after they were accused of child sexual abuse.
Earlier this week, the department’s deputy secretary, David Howes, said there was evidence it transferred teachers to other public schools after they were accused of child sexual abuse.
The inquiry, originally established to investigate allegations of historical sexual abuse at Beaumaris primary school in Melbourne’s south-east, has since been expanded to investigate allegations at 23 other government schools where the same perpetrators also worked.
The inquiry has identified four perpetrators who were employed by Beaumaris and other government schools.
Before he resigned as premier, Daniel Andrews had 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 that the premier, Jacinta Allan, is due to deliver later this month that will recognise historical child abuse in institutional care settings like orphanages.
The inquiry 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
