Initial response to the report of the Board of Inquiry into historical child sexual abuse in Beaumaris Primary School and certain other government schools
The Board’s report was tabled by the government in Parliament, Wednesday 6 March. The report is over 400 pages long and will take some time to absorb but the initial response of Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) is as follows:
Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) is the peak body for Victoria’s 18 sexual assault services. SASVic made a formal submission to the Inquiry, attended the Inquiry, participated in the support services roundtable and met with Inquiry representatives. Thus SASVic is well placed to comment on the findings of the Inquiry.
Quotes attributable to SASVic Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Maltzahn.
While we are heartened by some of the report’s findings we are concerned that the recommendations are framed as though what happened at Beaumaris was an isolated historical incident.
The crimes committed at Beaumaris Primary School are historic but the 18 sexual assault centres we represent know that these crimes occur in institutional and private settings every day.
Without proper resourcing and law reform we are not necessarily any better placed to prevent and respond to such crimes today than we were in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Report recommendations
The recommendations in the Board of Inquiry's report will not achieve the transformative change required to prevent and respond to current as well as historical child sexual abuse. We urgently need the government to commit to systemic change and build on this inquiry and past inquiries.
SASVic has put together a 10-point plan for responding to this report, which you can read now.
Action vs Intentions
The Board of Inquiry and the government’s response are thoughtful and empathetic but we must be careful to avoid a “thoughts and prayers” response to these avoidable tragedies.
We need action. We need law reform and the development of the promised 10-year Victorian sexual violence strategy promised by the Victorian Government to be delivered in 2022. And nothing works without a properly resourced funded workforce.
Expertise
Sexual assault in institutional settings creates specific issues. We need the right people to lead the policy development and responses. Specialist sexual assault services work with these complex issues every day and are an independent source of expertise.
The plan
The sector is still waiting for the delivery of the comprehensive 10-year Victorian sexual violence strategy promised by the Victorian Government promised for 2022.
The Inquiry’s website: https://www.beaumarisinquiry.vic.gov.au/
SASVic: https://www.sasvic.org.au/
CEO Kathleen Malzahn is available for comment via Brett de Hoedt of Hootville Communications: 0414 713 802.