Lawyers flag sex abuse class action against government

Lawyers are weighing up launching a class action against the Victorian government after public school teachers preyed on students for decades.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers on Friday announced it was investigating bringing compensation claims and a class action against the Victorian government on behalf of child sex abuse survivors who attended Beaumaris Primary School and other government schools.

A damning board of inquiry report tabled on Wednesday derided the state's Department of Education, finding it woefully failed to protect children from the risk of sexual abuse as it did not have policies to deal with allegations or convictions.

Slater and Gordon Victorian abuse law practice leader Sam Carroll described the findings as deeply concerning.

"Most concerning for us, when we read it, is the government put the reputation of the education system ahead of the safety of school children," Mr Carroll told AAP.

"That's why the government needs to be held accountable."

Slater and Gordon was considering how to best get survivors compensation, whether through many individual claims or a class action.

It was already in touch with some survivors of sex abuse in Victorian schools and urged others who wanted to pursue claims dating as far back as the 1960s to contact the firm.

About 120 victims, affected community members and stakeholders told their stories to the inquiry.

The students were usually boys aged between nine and 12 years when the abuse started.

Sometimes the abuse happened once or a few times but for others it was sustained over weeks, months or years.

After the inquiry's report was released, 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.

Arnold Thomas and Becker Lawyers are pursuing claims against about 240 Victorian schools on behalf of almost 400 people who allege they were victims of abuse at school.

Among the former students, 100 have approached the law firm in the past six months.

Most attended state schools but some attended independent schools.

Arnold Thomas and Becker abuse practice head Kim Price said a class action was not in survivors' best interests.

"Given the number of individuals impacted, across hundreds of schools and in different circumstances over many decades, each case needs to be assessed on its own facts so that the best outcome can be achieved for each survivor," he told AAP.

Mr Price has called for a full and proper probe into Victorian schools' practices and policies for dealing with sexual abuse allegations.

Slater and Gordon said it had a specialised team ready to listen to survivors' stories and guide them through the legal process in a trauma-informed way.

A Victorian government spokesperson said it would continue to engage with victim-survivors while considering a response to the board’s report.

"We thank the victim-survivors and their families for their courageous contribution to the Board of Inquiry," they said.

"They shared stories of trauma and abuse that no child should bear, let alone in a place that should have been their place of safety, their school.”

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store