The Victorian education department had a “culture of covering up” allegations of historical child sexual abuse in public schools to protect reputations, an inquiry has found, describing it as an “appalling and systemic failure”.
The final report of Victoria’s special inquiry investigating historical sexual abuse at 24 state schools, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, found the department “woefully failed” to protect children between 1960 and 1994, because it had not policies in place to deal with perpetrators.
The inquiry identified 109 alleged victims of the four teachers at the centre of the allegations, the report said.
“The department failed in both its action and inaction,” the board of inquiry wrote.
“There was a culture of covering up child sexual abuse to prioritise the reputation of the education system, including schools and teachers.
“Because of a dearth of policies and procedures, there were no measures in place in the education system to identify, manage, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse.”
The board of inquiry was initially focused on the Beaumaris primary school, where four teachers – Graham Steele, Darrell Ray, David MacGregor and “Wyatt”, a pseudonym used for legal reasons – were alleged to have abused students during the 1960s and 1970s.
But it was expanded to 23 other government schools, where the alleged perpetrators also worked.
Three of the alleged perpetrators – Ray, Wyatt and MacGregor – have been convicted of child sexual abuse offences. Steele was never prosecuted before his death in 2013.
In respect to Ray, the inquiry found “multiple teachers, an assistant principal, a principal and a district inspector” were aware of his behaviour by 1974 and concerns were raised with the department.
In 1976, he left Beaumaris and began working at a new school, where he was later charged with sexual abusing a student. He kept teaching until his conviction in 1979.
“The department’s inaction put numerous children at risk of sexual abuse,” the inquiry said in its report.
The inquiry said concerns were raised about Wyatt in the early 1970s but no action was taken and he continued to teach for more than two decades until his resignation.
The action of parents led the department to move MacGregor into an administrative role, which he kept even after he was convicted and sentenced on charges of child sexual abuse and found guilty of misconduct through a departmental investigation.
“He was able to remain employed and continue to take advantage of the benefits of a departmental role until he chose to retire in 1992,” the inquiry said in its report.
In the 1980s, reports were made to the police that Steele sexually abused children but this “[did] not appear to have been conveyed to the department, despite the fact he was still teaching”.
The inquiry found the department still had not done a review of allegations into sexual abuse at Beaumaris or within the broader state school system.
“Victim-survivors from other government schools have not been afforded an opportunity to gain an understanding of the extent of child sexual abuse at their school, or of whether they were alone in their experience,” it said.
It makes nine recommendations for reform, including establishing a statewide “truth-telling and accountability process” for victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in all Victorian government schools.
It also recommends a new public memorial at the Beaumaris primary school, better resources to help victim-survivors and a statewide public apology to be made by the government in parliament, the latter of which had been committed to by former premier Daniel Andrews.
His successor, Jacinta Allan, thanked the more than 120 victims and their loved ones who came forward and spoke at the inquiries.
“I want to thank them for their courage and strength, not just participating in this inquiry but for driving this inquiry in the first place,” she told reporters outside parliament on Wednesday.
Allan and the deputy premier and education minister, Ben Carroll, met with victims in private after the report was tabled.
The department said it “was deeply sorry for the harm, abuse and injury inflicted” in state schools.
“This should simply never have happened,” a spokesperson said.
“We reiterate our commitment to do everything we can to ensure that this never happens again and to ensure that victim-survivors get every support they need to rebuild their lives.”
• 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
