Progress updates on the Board of Inquiry recommendations

Progress updates on the Victorian government’s implementation of the recommendations made by the Board of Inquiry.

Content warning:

This page contains information relating to historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.

Progress updates

On 19 June 2024, the Victorian Government released its response to the Board of Inquiry, accepting all recommendations.

The information below outlines the implementation progress to date. We’ll keep updating this information until all recommendations are in place.

Apology in Parliament to victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools

This year, following the work of the Forum for Truth and Recognition and the systemic review into historical abuse, the Victorian Government will apologise to all victim-survivors, secondary victims, and communities affected by child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.

Be part of the consultation to shape the Apology

The Department of Education invites victim-survivors, their families, loved ones and others affected to participate in shaping the words and meaning of the Victorian Government’s apology in Parliament so that it reflects your experiences, acknowledges the harm caused, and speaks with honesty and respect.

Contact the Department’s Restorative Engagement and Support team (REST) if you would like to learn more about the apology or help shape it:

Call: 03 9057 4500
Text: 0473 847 503
Email: rest@education.vic.gov.au

Forum for Truth and Recognition

The Victorian Government established the independent Forum for Truth and Recognition for people who have experienced child sexual abuse in Victorian Government schools and certain non-government schools prior to the year 2000 to share their experiences in a safe environment, and contribute to an important public record.

The Forum is now closed for personal sessions and submissions and the Chair of the Forum, Angela Connors, will deliver her report to the Premier in mid-2026. Thank you to everyone who participated in this important process.

The experiences shared with the Forum will be an important step to help Victoria build a better shared understanding of the lifelong and far-reaching impacts of child sexual abuse.

For more information, visit the Forum for Truth and Recognition website.

Systemic review of historical child sexual abuse matters

Along with the Forum for Truth and Recognition, the Department of Education is conducting 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.

Memorial acknowledging historical sexual abuse in Beaumaris Primary School

Following extensive research and consultation on memorialisation, the Department of Education is undertaking 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 expert independent facilitators to work with victim-survivors from Beaumaris Primary School, their loved ones, and other affected community members to determine the location, physical form and final design of the memorial.

The department would like to thank all former students, oved ones and other community members, currently working with us on this important co-design process – for their time, generosity, and care for both former and current students.

Consistent policy guidance for schools on memorials

The Department of Education has consulted with victim-survivors, schools, and other relevant community members to develop policy guidance that will apply to requests for memorials acknowledging historical child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools.

Based on feedback from schools and victim-survivors, the content on memorials forms part of a broader new policy to support principals respond to disclosure and reports of historical child sexual abuse at their schools.

This new policy and guidance was published in December 2025 and is publicly available for Victorian government schools on the Department of Education’s Policy and Advisory Library.

Restorative Engagement Program

The Board of Inquiry identified restorative engagement as best practice for supporting victim-survivors to safely share their experience of child sexual abuse and receive a meaningful personal acknowledgement from a senior representative from the Department of Education through a structured process.

In response, the department consulted with victim-survivors, academics, industry experts and others with experience in coordinating, facilitating and delivering redress programs for victim-survivors of abuse.

In December 2025 the department launched a personal acknowledgement and apology process for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools who wish to engage in a restorative process directly with the department, without the need to apply for the National Redress Scheme or engage in a legal claim.

The personal acknowledgement will be facilitated by experienced, trauma-informed practitioners, who are independent of the department, and guided by principles of doing no further harm, working collaboratively with people, and restoring relationships.

For more information, see Personal acknowledgment and apologies for victim-survivors.

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.

In December 2025, the department published a new website providing trauma-informed information on how to find and request access to school records held by the department. The website also features a searchable directory of all open and closed Victorian government schools (approximately 6,000), and background information on how school records are created and managed over time and why some school’s records are not available.

Explore the new School Records website.

Victim-survivor support website and telephone line

The Department of Education established the Report sexual abuse if you’re a current or former student website and telephone line in July 2023 for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse in government schools to access initial assistance and support.

The website has since undergone a significant redesign to improve victim-survivor access to information and support specific to their needs. It includes information on counselling supports, reporting, seeking compensation, personal acknowledgement and apologies, accessing school records and more.

Explore the updated website Victim-survivor support for former students.

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.

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 have included:

The establishment of the new Restorative Engagement and Support team within the Department of Education to lead a structured, supportive consultation process to support the implementation of a number of the reforms arising from the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations.
The 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.
Conducting an anonymous survey on the Engage Victoria website to help understand community views about several of the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations. The insights and experiences shared through this process have informed the department’s implementation of these recommendations and progress towards meaningful and enduring reform within the education system. For more information, see the final report on the Engage Victoria platform.
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 an 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.

The Department of Education would like to thank all those who have contributed to our consultation processes and played a critical role in shaping the implementation of the reforms recommended by the Board of Inquiry.

Stay informed or register your interest in participating

The department is now inviting victim-survivors, loved ones and affected members of the community to inform the Victorian Government’s apology in Parliament.

For more information on the implementation progress of the Board of Inquiry recommendations, or to register your interest in contributing to the consultation on the apology, contact the Department of Education’s Restorative Engagement and Support team (REST):

Provide feedback

If you have any feedback about what is on this page or if you need more information or support please email the Department of Education’s Restorative Engagement and Support team (REST) at rest@education.vic.gov.au.

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Progress updates on the Board of Inquiry recommendations

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Victorian Government response to the Board of Inquiry