Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Victorian Government Schools

Personal acknowledgement and apologies for former students

The department’s Restorative Engagement and Support team is responsible for supporting requests from victim-survivors of sexual abuse by an adult working in a Victorian government school for a personal acknowledgment and apology from a senior department representative through a structured process. The Restorative Engagement and Support team will first work very closely with the survivor, sometimes over a considerable period of time, to understand their needs and objectives for the acknowledgement and apology.

Victim-survivors can:

• meet with a senior department representative
• receive a personal letter from a senior department representative
• request a memorial or physical form of acknowledgement, or some kind of symbolic action.

The department also supports similar restorative processes through direct personal responses as part of the National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.

The department representatives who participate in these processes are usually regional executives or executives working in areas relating to child safety, who have received training in restorative processes.

A victim-survivor may also request that the principal or other senior leader from their former school is present at a face-to-face meeting. When this happens, the Restorative Engagement and Support team works with the school to determine an appropriate participant and to ensure they are well-prepared for any meeting.

The Restorative Engagement and Support team will also work closely with school staff, if the victim-survivor asks to visit the school or for the meeting to take place at the school, to ensure that the victim-survivor’s needs can be safely met.