Progress updates
On 19 June 2024, the Victorian Government released its response to the Board of Inquiry, accepting all recommendations. Work is now underway to implement these important reforms.
The information below outlines the implementation progress of the Victorian Government reforms. We'll keep updating this information until all recommendations are in place.
Establishment of the Forum for Truth and Recognition
The Victorian Government has established the Forum for Truth and Recognition as an independent forum for victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in all Victorian Government schools and certain other schools, to share their experiences and contribute to the public record. Ms Angela Connors has been appointed as Chair of this Forum.
The Forum is an important step in making sure the voices of all victim-survivors of historical abuse in government schools are heard. The forum will also inform future prevention and policy efforts to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated. A final report will be provided to the Government in May 2026.
Find out more about the Forum for Truth and Recognition.
Systemic review of historical child sexual abuse matters
Along with the Forum for Truth and Recognition, the Department of Education has begun a systemic review based on civil claims records and other disclosures to examine patterns of offending and institutional failings.
The systemic review will deliver a report incorporating data and analysis, observations and lessons learnt about historical child sexual abuse in government schools regarding patterns of offending and failures to prevent, detect or respond to abuse.
Ms Julia Griffith has been appointed as Independent Monitor to ensure the systemic review is conducted in accordance with the Terms of Reference. A final report will be provided to the Minister for Education by 31 March 2026.
Memorialisation
Following extensive research and consultation on memorialisation, the Department of Education will soon commence a co-design process for the location and form of a memorial acknowledging historical child sexual abuse at Beaumaris Primary School. The Department has engaged an expert independent facilitator to work with victim-survivors from Beaumaris Primary School, their loved ones and other affected community members on the co-design project.
The Department of Education has also commenced drafting policy guidance that will apply to other requests for memorials at Victorian government schools. This policy guidance will be published by the end of 2025 following consultation with victim-survivors, schools, and other relevant stakeholders.
Restorative Engagement Program
The Department of Education has consulted with victim-survivors, academics, industry experts and others with experience in coordinating, facilitating and delivering redress programs for victim-survivors of abuse, to inform the department's own future restorative engagement program. The Department will continue to consult with victim-survivors to ensure lived experience voices are central to the final model, which is on track to be operational by the end of 2025.
Improvements to information access and records management
The Department of Education has made substantial progress on collecting and cataloguing school records, and digitising historic records, to support ease of access. Trauma-informed training has been delivered to all records archivists and staff in Freedom of Information and other relevant units. The Department is on track to publish a website providing public information on finding school records held by the department, as well as how to request access to them, by the end of 2025.
Online hub and telephone line
The Department of Education has established an online hub and telephone line for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in government schools to seek information and initial assistance. For more information visit Report sexual abuse if you're a current or former student.
This online hub is currently being reviewed for improvements and the Department will be conducting user testing with victim-survivors to ensure any updates to this page are trauma-informed, accessible, inclusive and meet the needs of victim-survivors of Victorian government schools, their loved ones and affected community members.
Access to tailored support and service responses for adult victim-survivors of child sexual abuse
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) is working with Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic), the peak body for specialist sexual assault support services, on consultation to inform the design of a coordination, navigation and advocacy function for adult victim-survivors of child sexual abuse. The coordination, navigation and advocacy function, to be piloted in two locations, is being designed to complement supports already provided by existing specialist sexual assault services and will seek to enhance collaboration across service systems to better coordinate timely access to support.
DFFH is also working with SASVic to consider options to support timely access to specialist sexual assault services and to review and update public-facing information on sexual assault support services to grow awareness that services are available for and responsive to people of all genders.
Legislative reform to protect personal information provided in future boards of inquiry
The Victorian Government is analysing options for legislative reform for protection of records shared with boards of inquiry and other types of inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2014.
Apology to victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools
The Victorian Government will formally apologise to all victim-survivors, secondary victims and communities affected by historical child sexual abuse in government schools in Parliament. This apology will be delivered after the Forum for Truth and Recognition and the Department of Education Systemic Review have both reported publicly, to ensure the apology is informed by these fundamental processes.
Consultation with victim-survivors on the other reforms currently being implemented across Government have already provided valuable and profound insights that will help shape an apology in Parliament, with further consultation on the apology still to occur.
Community consultations
The Victorian Government recognises that talking to, and deeply listening to victim-survivors, their families, and affected communities is key to implementing these reforms successfully. We are committed to ensuring that their voices are heard and that all community members who want to be involved are able to participate in a safe and inclusive way.
Some key consultation activities include:
- establishment of a new Restorative Engagement, Information and Support team within the Department of Education to plan and implement a structured, supportive consultation process that will underpin implementation of a number of the reforms arising from the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations. This team is responsible for Recommendations 2, 4, and 6, and the ongoing implementation of the Restorative Engagement Program (Recommendation 4) when it is established, and the online hub and telephone line (Recommendation 6).
- formation of a Community Reference Group, including members with lived and living experience of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools, as well as sector advocates, providers and experts, to inform the broad range of consultation and co-design activities.
- launching an anonymous survey on the Engage Victoria website to help understand community views about several of the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations - responses to this survey will help to inform further consultation on these important reforms.
- hosting a range of in-person community consultations with victim-survivors and their loved ones or former classmates impacted by historical sexual abuse at Beaumaris Primary School to understand what a process towards acknowledgement and a memorial might mean to them.
- individual meetings and conversations between the Department of Education and people with lived experience expertise and other expertise to help inform and shape the Department of Education’s implementation of the reforms they are responsible for.
Stay informed
We welcome any victim-survivors or community members to contact us at any time to ask about the recommendations or to register your interest in being kept updated on the reform work. Contact the Department of Education Restorative Engagement, Information and Support (REIS) team:
- Phone: 03 8688 7833
- Mobile: 0473 847 503
- Email: reis@education.vic.gov.au
Register your interest in participating
For more information on the consultation process or to register your interest in being kept up to date with ways to participate, visit the Engage Victoria Support for victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse webpage.
Provide feedback
If you have any feedback about what is on this page or if you need more information or support please email the please email the Department of Education’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support (REIS) team at reis@education.vic.gov.au.
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