Children in Victorian public schools were left for decades to fall prey to sexual predator teachers because officials failed to act on allegations and prioritised reputation over safety.
A board of inquiry into historical abuse at Beaumaris Primary School and certain other government schools tabled its final report on Wednesday.
The investigation was set up in June to establish the extent of wrongdoing at Beaumaris from 1960 to 1994 but eventually expanded to cover 23 other schools.
In its report, the board slammed the Department of Education, finding it "woefully failed to protect children from the risk" of sexual abuse because it did not have policies in place to deal with allegations or convictions.
"The department failed in both its action and inaction," the board said.
"There was a culture of covering up child sexual abuse to prioritise the reputation of the education system, including schools and teachers."
About 120 victims, affected community members and stakeholders told their stories to the inquiry.
The students were usually boys aged between nine and 12 when the abuse started. Sometimes it was once or a few times but for others, it was sustained over weeks, months or years.
They would be violated in the school library, office, sick bay or classroom - at times in front of fellow pupils.
Others recounted abuse on camps, trips away or at sporting events.
Six Beaumaris employees were identified as relevant to the inquiry, which focused on four teachers - Graham Steele, Darrell Ray, David MacGregor and another under the pseudonym of 'Wyatt'.
They are believed to have abused more than 100 students, many of them during their employment at Beaumaris between 1971 and 1972.
The department was told of the conviction and sentencing of MacGregor, who was also found guilty of misconduct in an internal investigation in the 1980s.
He was allowed to remain an employee, transferred into administration and only banned from teaching for three years.
Victims spoke of the immediate impacts including shock and shame, and long-lasting demons including anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
The inquiry found the department still hadn't conducted a review of the allegations at Beaumaris or within the broader system.
It makes nine recommendations, including a parliamentary apology, public memorials and a truth-telling, and accountability processes for historical child sexual abuse in all state schools.
Sexual Assault Services Victoria chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn called the report a very powerful documentation of failure.
But she fears it becoming another "lovely process of documenting harm" without concrete action and wants the government to also act on the 2021 Victorian Law Reform Commission inquiry into the justice system's response to sexual offences.
"I fear in the same way in the US after a shooting where the system offers thoughts and prayers, in Australia, increasingly in response to child sexual abuse, we have an inquiry, we have an apology and the urgently needed action isn't being provided," Ms Maltzahn told AAP.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said it was "deeply sorry" for the harm inflicted and committed to victim support and ensuring it wouldn't happen again.
“It is utterly unacceptable that any child should suffer sexual abuse, especially when they are in the care and supervision of a government school," he said.
Liberal MP Brad Rowswell, who represents the southeast Melbourne electorate of Sandringham in which the school is based, urged the government commit to statewide truth-telling.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Education Minister Ben Carroll met with victims in parliament as the report was tabled, thanking them for their courage and strength.
