Each evening I have been reading the daily transcripts of the proceedings with much curiosity.

It is interesting that the Royal Commission seems not to be interested in hearing the accounts of those victims who were abused sexually, physically and mentally in secular institutions.

In Ballarat, not only did I attend St Patrick's College, but I also attended at a few primary schools there too during the 1970s and 1980s, and I can say that 'things' were far more widespread. It was the culture and psyche of the day.

On my first day at St Pat's the rumour mill was in overdrive: "watch out for Brother so-and-so, he likes boys; so-and-so is gay, so keep your towel around you when you change."

Telling another teacher of anything was usually met with the standard response, "uh, don't be ridiculous."

Although the government schools had no dormitories, the abuse perpetrated against innocent children was clandestine in the classroom and free-for-all on camps.

'Discipline' was meted-out, yes, but to innocent young children growing-up and inexperienced to the fundamental moralities of life, how was a child supposed to know what was right, wrong, excessive, abusive, inexcusable and outright against the law.

The Royal Commission is perceived by quite a few victims to have all the hallmarks of a Clayton's Royal Commission.

More concerned with leading a moral crusade or for want of a more appropriate descriptor, an inquisition against the Catholic Church, the Royal Commission seems to be ignoring those who suffered at the hands of perpetrators working within state government schools and institutions.

Not diminishing the severity and consequences of what was suffered by victims within various Christian establishments, little resources and time seem to be devoted to those victims abused within secular establishments who have been by-and-large forgotten.

The Royal Commission should have been all-encompassing. Ballarat is Ballarat and if the abuse happened there be it in a Christian or a state institution the public has a right to know, and all victims need to know that complaints by others have already been made and they are not alone.

With the evidence and recollections of others those perpetrators that have escaped justice might finally be called to account.

All institutions and perpetrators should be named, particularly if official complaints to the police have been made and witness statements sworn.

The opportunity should be there for all victims to have an equal voice and the opportunity to state their cases.