Public hearings for an inquiry into historical child sexual abuse at 24 Victorian Government schools are set to begin next week.
The Board of Inquiry will hear from victim-survivors who experienced abuse by staff at Beaumaris Primary School in the 1960s and 1970s.
Inquiry chair Kathleen Foley SC will also hear evidence from victim-survivors from other schools where those staff members were employed.
The first week of hearings will take place from Monday 23 October-Thursday 26 October.
Among the investigated primary schools are Beaumaris, Beaconsfield Upper, Bunyip, Cranbourne, Dandenong North, Dandenong West, Drouin South and Emerald.
The first week of public hearings will focus on understanding the effects of historical child sexual abuse in government schools, the Board of Inquiry stated.
It will also focus on the individual and shared experiences of victim-survivors, secondary victims and impacted community members.
“The hearings will be an opportunity for victim-survivors and their families, friends and supporters to have their experiences publicly recorded and acknowledged.”
Submissions are still open for victim-survivors of sexual abuse at Victorian government schools.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings in person or watch the webstream on the Inquiry’s website.
