If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse as a student at a Victorian government school or are aware of abuse at a Victorian government school, either recently or in the past, we encourage you to report it to the police and to the Department of Education.
Report sexual abuse to the police
Reporting sexual abuse can be challenging, and it may be difficult to talk about the experience. You may seek support from a specialist service like Sexual Assault Services Victoria to assist you in making a report to police.
To report sexual abuse at a Victorian government school – or if you are concerned that you or someone else is in danger or at risk of sexual abuse – you should contact these police services:
- Victoria Police on 000 if the risk is immediate
- Your local police station
- Your local Victorian Police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT).
For more information about child abuse and reporting to Victoria Police, visit the Victoria Police website.
Report sexual abuse to the department
Student to student sexual abuse – Victorian government school
If you are a current or former student of a Victorian government school and have experienced sexual assault or abuse from another student, we encourage you to report this to your school so they can take appropriate action.
If you are unhappy with the school’s response, contact the department’s enquiries team:
- Phone: 1800 338 663
- Email: enquiries@education.vic.gov.au
For further information refer to Make a complaint about your school.
For information on the Department’s policy requirements for schools related to student sexual offending and problem sexual behaviour refer to Student Sexual Offending and Problem Sexual Behaviour: Policy.
Sexual abuse by an adult working in a Victorian government school
If you are a current or former student of a Victorian government school and have experienced sexual abuse by an adult working in a government school, we encourage you to report this to the department’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support line:
- Phone: 03 9057 4500
- Email: REIS@education.vic.gov.au
Even if you are now an adult and the abuse happened a long time ago, you can access support and take action at any time.
You may want to tell someone that the person who caused you harm may still be working with children. Or you may just want to make sure that the institution that caused you harm is aware of it.
You may want to talk to someone about your therapeutic options or the information on this page about redress and legal claims.
For information and resources on current reporting and legal obligations for school staff about suspected child abuse at or outside of school, visit Your reporting and legal obligations.
Reporting sexual abuse in a non-government school
If you are a current or former student of a non-government school and have experienced sexual assault or abuse by a person working for that school, we encourage you to report this to your school to ensure they can take appropriate action. If you are unhappy with the school’s response, you can contact the authorities below:
- For Catholic schools: contact the Victorian Catholic Education Authority
- For independent schools: contact the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
Lodge a claim for compensation
We acknowledge that, for many survivors of sexual abuse, seeking compensation is one part of a long and painful recovery. We understand that many survivors find it hard to trust the institutions where the abuse happened. We acknowledge the potential for re-traumatisation in the litigation process.
For this reason, the department follows the Common Guiding Principles for child sexual abuse civil claims when responding to claims for compensation. The department also follows the Model Litigant Guidelines. These guidelines require the State to act with complete propriety, fairness and the highest professional standards. The department understands that the time taken to resolve a claim may be distressing for survivors. We will seek to minimise delays where possible.
If you would like to make a claim for compensation, we encourage you to seek independent legal advice. An independent lawyer can give you information about your options and legal rights. The following organisations may be able to help you:
- Victims Legal Service – Victorian government
- Knowmore – free independent legal advice and support for survivors of child abuse
- Law Institute of Victoria referral service
- Victoria Legal Aid
To learn more about lodging a claim for compensation, including information for survivors who choose not to use lawyers, refer to Claims Process for survivors of sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.
Other avenues for compensation are detailed below.
National Redress Scheme
The National Redress Scheme provides support to people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
The National Redress Scheme can provide people who have experienced child sexual abuse in a Victorian government school with access to:
- counselling
- a monetary payment
- a direct personal response, without the need to engage in litigation.
You can apply for the National Redress Scheme if:
- you experienced sexual abuse when you were a child (under 18 years of age), and
- the abuse happened before 1 July 2018, and
- an institution was responsible for bringing you into contact with the person who abused you, and
- you were born before 30 June 2010, and
- at the time you apply, you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.
For more information, including how to access the scheme, visit National Redress Scheme.
Victims of Crime supports
Victorian government supports
For comprehensive information about the supports available to victims of crime, including the Victims Assistance Program, visit Victims of Crime Victoria.
This website provides information about supports available and contact details for the Victims of Crime Helpline (phone 1800 819 817 8 pm to 11 pm 7 days a week) who can help you to:
- get advice about reporting a crime
- find other services that can help you, including legal services, counselling services, and help with day-to-day needs
- get information about the court process
- get help applying for compensation and financial assistance.
Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal
The Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal provides financial assistance to victims to help them recover from violent crimes, including sexual abuse.
The tribunal helps with costs that arise from being a victim of a violent crime, such as:
- counselling
- medical expenses
- loss of earnings
- other expenses that may help a victim recover.
For information about the tribunal, visit Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal.
The Financial Assistance Scheme is replacing the tribunal. The scheme is expected to open in 2024. Until then continue to make applications through the tribunal.
Access counselling assistance payments
Primary victims – current or former students
We can offer some financial payments for counselling to current and former students who report they have been abused at a Victorian government school by an adult working in that school. These payments are known as counselling assistance payments and help survivors of sexual abuse access private counselling services.
You can apply for financial assistance for counselling by emailing the Department’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support Unit at REIS@education.vic.gov.au or call 03 9057 4500.
If you accept counselling assistance payments, it will not prevent you from accessing any other support available to you such as seeking compensation by bringing a legal claim against the department or applying to the National Redress Scheme.
Secondary victims – family members
The impact of institutional child sexual abuse is far-reaching. It can often also affect survivors’ families and their communities. For some survivors, restoring trust and building relationships is an important part of the process. This is why counselling assistance payments may be available for family members. If this would help you or your family, email the Department’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support Unit at REIS@education.vic.gov.au or call 03 9057 4500.
Specialist support services
Specialist support services and helplines offer support for children and adults who have been victims of abuse. They can also provide advice for support options for family members.
Apologies and acknowledgments
The department understands that acknowledging and apologising for the pain, suffering and trauma that survivors of child abuse have experienced, and ongoing impact on their lives, is an important part of the healing process.
Survivors of sexual abuse deserved care and protection from the institutions that harmed them. Instead, the people and institutions entrusted with their care failed them.
If you are a current student who is the victim of sexual abuse at a Victorian government school, the department will work with you and your parents/carers to deliver an acknowledgment and apology. The department will also ensure that you have information about options available to you, including:
- counselling support (including counselling assistance payments from the department)
- external support agencies
- ways to lodge a claim for compensation against the department.
We acknowledge that the healing process will be different for everyone. You don’t have to access these support options immediately, but it is important to have this information available for when you or your parents/carers are ready to access them.
Direct personal responses through the National Redress Scheme
A direct personal response is an opportunity to receive an apology and acknowledgement from the department for the harm experienced as a child. This includes a description of what the department has done to stop abuse from happening to anyone else. It is also an opportunity for the department to hear about other sorts of redress that may help. Survivors who apply to the National Redress Scheme may request:
- a face-to-face meeting, either individually or in a group
- a written letter
- a public apology
- other arrangements depending on their circumstances, including a symbolic gesture or public statement.
Apologies through the litigation process
The department makes an early assessment of all sexual abuse civil litigation claims and seeks to have them resolved as soon as possible. Once the department has reviewed and assessed the information in your claim, a department representative may contact you or your lawyer to offer further supports. They will also discuss a statement of apology and acknowledgement about the abuse and its impacts.
Support for school staff
The impact of child sexual abuse in schools can be far-reaching. Current school staff who are impacted by child sexual abuse in schools can access the Department’s Employee Wellbeing Support Services which provides free and confidential advice to proactively support staff wellbeing, as well as crisis support.
Former staff of a Victorian government school who need support can contact the department’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support team, which will arrange support through the Employee Wellbeing Support Service – Employee Assist. Phone 03 9057 4500 or email REIS@education.vic.gov.au
Feedback
We are committed to improving how we engage with you as survivors of child sexual abuse in a Victorian government school, and those who support you. Please email the Department’s Restorative Engagement, Information and Support team at REIS@education.vic.gov.au to provide your feedback or to request a phone call at a time that would best suit you
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