As the Beaumaris Inquiry findings are delivered, survivors cling to the hope of a statewide investigation

It is one of life's inevitabilities that no matter how skilful and well-intentioned the execution of a government inquiry, its findings and recommendations never seem to go far enough. On Wednesday, the 466-page final report of the board of inquiry into historical sexual abuse at Beaumaris primary school and certain other government schools was tabled to parliament. The report does not explicitly call for an "inquiry", but argues that, if one eventuates, it should be: "independent and time-limited" "available to victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in any Victorian government school, victim-survivors of historical child sexual abuse in a non-government school where the alleged perpetrator previously worked at a government school and allegedly committed child sexual abuse at that government school" "results in an independent public record of victim-survivors' experiences shared through the truth-telling process, that includes recognition of past failings of the Department of Education." And despite an acknowledgement that survivors asked for and deserve "the full picture" — that is, a comprehensive account and investigation of abuse in all Victorian government schools, not just the 24 included in this inquiry — the report’s associated conclusions are non-committal. A truth-telling process would, it is said, "increase departmental accountability and transparency in relation to historical child sexual abuse in government schools".