Thursday, 9 February 2023

Child sexual abuse

Brad ROWSWELL (Sandringham) (17:18): (35) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action that I seek is for the Premier to immediately announce a dedicated parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse within the Victorian government school system. Sexual abuse of children was rife in the 1970s, with schools in my own electorate recognised as where some of the worst offending in the Victorian government school system occurred. Given the trauma that many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Victorians have experienced whilst in the care of the Victorian government school system, it is so critically important to understand the scale of abuse and to hear of these harrowing stories directly from victim-survivors themselves. Over the past months I have heard, myself, the traumatic stories and met with several victim-survivors.

After months of lobbying, it is an important first step that the Premier has now met with these victim-survivors and has vowed to apologise for the crimes committed. But the point I make is this: how can the Premier apologise for something where the scale of abuse is largely unknown? Now is the time for the Premier to go further and recognise the pain and suffering of these victim-survivors by launching a dedicated parliamentary inquiry into systemic sexual abuse of children in Victorian government schools. Past inquiries have distinctively excluded investigating abuse in Victorian government schools, and it is my strong view that the Victorian government need to do more to recognise what has occurred under the Department of Education’s watch and that they begin with launching this dedicated parliamentary inquiry. It is my view that the Liberals and Nationals will be supportive of this, and we believe that it is an important and necessary first step in the healing process for those who have suffered.