The Board of Inquiry into historical child sexual abuse in Beaumaris Primary School and certain other government schools has finished its first round of public hearings, which took place on Monday 23 - Tuesday 24 October. You can read transcripts, by clicking on Transcripts.
At the close of these public hearings it was announced that the next phase will be in November, and will include the Department of Education as a witness.
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Submissions to the Board of Inquiry are open until 31 October 2023. "We invite victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse who were abused by staff or contractors at Beaumaris Primary School during the 1960s and 1970s, and any other government schools where these same staff were employed, to share their experiences with us. We would also like to hear from families, friends, loved ones and other supporters of those who experienced abuse.
Organisations and groups are also encouraged to make a submission to inform the Inquiry’s work and recommendations around best-practice approaches to providing supports for adults who have experienced child sexual abuse at government schools.
Your experiences, views and perspectives are invaluable to our work." The following is the link to information on how to make a submission.
Make a submission
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Meanwhile, ABC Investigations continue to publish information on relevant employees the Board of Inquiry has publically identified, Grahame (Graham) Harold Steele and David Ernest Keith MacGregor.
Paedophile teacher kept Victorian Education Department job for seven years after conviction provides more information about David Ernest Keith MacGregor who "was convicted of two counts of indecent assault on a person under the age of 16 and sentenced to three years' probation in Melbourne Magistrates' Court in September 1985.
Despite his conviction, MacGregor remained an employee of the Victorian Education Department until at least 1992, working in the department's regional offices in Frankston and Dandenong.
Former education department officials confirmed to ABC Investigations that MacGregor had taught at Kunyung Primary School in Mount Eliza at the time of his conviction, which ended his teaching career."
Grant Holland's story of abuse by paedophile teacher Grahame Steele is being heard after 48 years includes "Three times in the 26 years following his abuse by Steele in 1974, Holland says, he bravely attempted to have Steele prosecuted. Three times, he says, the story he told to police fell on deaf ears.
Only recently, as a result of information provided by the Inquiry, was Holland's worst fear confirmed: Steele remained a primary school principal for almost a decade after Holland's first disclosure, meaning hundreds more Victorian schoolchildren were exposed to a cunning and ruthless sexual predator."
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Media coverage of Day 2 of the public hearings reported on Students at Victorian primary school threatened to report alleged abuse by teachers, inquiry hears "
On Tuesday ... "heard from a former student who alleges he was abused by former teacher Grahame Steele three times during the 1960s. The former student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the inquiry that he met with a group of former pupils about 10 years ago. They said some of them had threatened to report the alleged abuse when they were sent to the principal’s office for misbehaving.
“The students would tell the principal that they knew what was going on between the teachers and students, and threatened to tell someone [outside the school] if they were disciplined,” he told the inquiry.
“I was shocked and angry when I heard that some people knew what was going on.”
The former student said some staff at Beaumaris knew about the alleged abuse and “did nothing”.
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We are very grateful for everyone who are sharing their stories, knowledge and experience with the Board of Inquiry, and with the media.
At the same time, we hope the Board of Inquiry provides answers to why, when the Department of Education staff and Victoria Police had knowledge of the offending, little or no action was taken. Even when perpertrators had known convictions for child sexual abuse.
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