The Victorian schools being sued over historical sex abuse claims A convicted killer is suing his old Melbourne Catholic school, alleging sexual abuse he suffered there as a teenager set him on a path to a life of crime. The case is part of a wave of hundreds of actions against Victorian schools over historical abuse claims by former students, with one law firm alone investigating more than 470 cases involving some 300 schools. Arnold Thomas and Becker, is investigating more than 470 claims against about 300 private, public and Catholic schools – or more than 10 per cent of the state’s schools. Kim Price, head of the firm’s institutional abuse practice, said it received dozens of calls each month. “Our extensive investigations into schools provided us with critical information about which schools have failed to keep their students safe, and we now also know of the numerous schools which had received complaints of abuse, but did nothing about these complaints or removed the offender from the school,” he said. Price also warned people to be wary of the government’s redress scheme, after his firm launched a class action for compensation for abuse survivors who were allegedly short-changed by legal firm Knowmore Legal Service. “Of the people who will make up the class action, we anticipate that around 30 per cent will have been abused at a school.” Read more about this media story. Contact us As a leading Australian Abuse firm, we have helped thousands of brave abuse survivors obtain compensation for physical, psychological and sexual abuse in institutional settings. Money can’t take the pain away, however, it can help achieve clarity and closure. We have extensive experience in obtaining ground-breaking multi-million dollar payments for our clients. Visit our Institutional Abuse page for more information or call us on 03 9034 8433.