St Partick’s College and St Alipius Parish Primary School have backed moves for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse to reconsider its decision to relocate the next set of Ballarat hearings.
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The move comes as a number of leaders from across the state push for the Royal Commission to reconsider its decision.
St Patrick’s College headmaster John Crowley said he had been meeting with a group of survivors since the Royal Commission hearings in May to implement a number of programs at the school.
“I am coming to that meeting through my role of headmaster,” he said. “I see it as a really important thing to be a part of, it has been a privilege and an honour to meet with them.”
Mr Crowley said he felt strongly enough about the issue that he wanted to take a public stand and urge the Royal Commission to reconsider.
“I felt strongly that would create a situation for those men and their families when they are at their most vulnerable and under stress themselves,” he said. “It will place increased stress on them in terms of logistics when they most need support around them.”
Mr Crowley said it was important the commission was aware of the potential impact the decision could have on the survivors who will now be forced to make the more than three hour daily return trip for the hearings.
St Alipius Parish PS acting principal Roxanne Leed agreed the commission should reconsider its decision and said the needs of the survivors should be considered.
“From the outset we have said we support the work of the Royal Commission and the importance of investigating the structures that has allowed the crimes to take place in the past,” she said. “There is no doubt the Ballarat community is hurting and that hurting is widespread.
“The needs of the survivors need to be considered first out of this, they have been vocal saying it will add to their pain. We have said from the outset that we stand in solidarity with the survivors.”
Both schools were also vocal supporters of the survivors during the May Royal Commission hearings held in Ballarat.
The schools join a long list of public figures, including the Victorian premier, backing a push for the commission to explain the decision making behind the move. Wendouree MP Sharon Knight has sent a letter to the commission asking for the decision to be reconsidered.
