There are already demands to extend the inquiry to all Victoria state schools.

The initial inquiry will investigate abuse that occurred during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as ongoing abuse committed by Beaumaris employees at other schools.

The investigation will establish an official record of the experiences of school victim-survivors and examine allegations of abuse by the three staff members, who also worked at other government schools.

Approximately $4.5 million is being set aside to support victim-survivors and run the inquiry, which could be expanded to investigate instances of historical abuse at other schools under its terms of reference.

"This is not in any way diminishing the experience of anybody at any other school," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.

"But the circumstances at Beaumaris Primary School all those decades ago are unique, given there were multiple victims, multiple offenders, multiple predators at the one time."

Beaumaris "the tip of the iceberg"

There are demands to extend the inquiry to include all government-run schools in Victoria, as Beaumaris is seen as just "the tip of the iceberg," according to Victorian MP Brad Roswell.

Premier Andrews said at least three school staff members at the time are believed to be involved in what he described as vile, evil and predatory behaviour towards students.

"This is principally a truth-telling process and one that is about providing people with that certainty that they are heard, they are believed," Andrews told reporters.

"That is an important part of healing, it's an important part of justice."

More than five years have passed since the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse concluded its final report and recommendations. The Royal Commission provided a platform for approximately 8,000 survivors of child sexual abuse to share their experiences.

No government school examined

Reportedly, 35.7 percent of survivors reported abuse within Catholic-run institutions, while 32.5 percent reported abuse within government-run institutions.

Despite the comparable proportions of allegations, Catholic-run institutions were the focus of twice as many public hearings as government-run schools, with no government school being examined during a public hearing.

The Royal Commission conducted five separate public hearings on Catholic schools and an additional six hearings on schools affiliated with other faith groups. However, government schools were not considered, aside from a couple of special schools that no longer exist.

The closest the Royal Commission came to addressing abuse in normal government schools was through the testimony of a single witness from the NSW Department of Education regarding student-on-student sexual abuse.

Charges were laid last month against an 82-year-old Queensland man as part of an ongoing police investigation into reported sexual assaults linked to the Beaumaris school.

The former teacher is set to face court on 26 counts of indecent assault dating back to the 1960s and 1970s.

Sources

Catholic Weekly

7 News

CathNews New Zealand

While turning the unvaccinated away is a public health imperative, it is theologically very difficult for many religions.

Father Peter Nguyen of St Dominic's Catholic Church in Camberwell is grateful for an easing of restrictions in Victoria from Oct 29. This will allow him to hold a small Mass for people with "unknown vaccination status".

"I didn't want to say, ‘Sorry, you can't come' to the unvaccinated," Father Peter says. "Jesus was about including rather than excluding people."

From last Friday, places of worship are allowed to hold indoor services for the fully vaccinated, with a density limit of one person per four square metres. Outdoor services for the fully vaccinated are capped at 500 and services of up to 30 for those of "unknown vaccination status".

Most Masses at St Dominic's will require all people to be double jabbed and carry proof of their vaccination status. But a special Mass for those of "unknown vaccination status" will be held at 6pm on Sunday.

However, faith leaders do not need to be vaccinated to conduct a service.

Premier Daniel Andrews has flagged unvaccinated Victorians will be barred from most venues and events until 2023.

Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli - who says Catholics are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated - welcomed Victoria's second to last opening-up stage from Friday.

Comensoli believes Victorians also need a marker when a unified gathering might happen. He says he will continue to work with other faith leaders on proposals that allow both vaccinated and unvaccinated people to worship in person safely.

"After many long months of isolation, continued forms of segregation within the community are deeply damaging. We cannot let this become the only way for COVID-accommodation," he says.

"As faith communities, we are here to support and comfort those in need and to be open to all regardless of who a person is or why they come."

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann from the Ark Centre in Hawthorn East says most synagogues are unwilling to risk COVID transmission by allowing the unvaccinated to attend services or prayer groups.

"What I am seeing is the people most in need of a sense of community are the ones who aren't taking up vaccinations," Rabbi Kaltmann says. "I'm seeing people falling through the cracks of society and becoming increasingly isolated. I think once we reach 90 per cent double vaccination, the government must re-evaluate."

Bishop Paul Barker from the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is horrified by Mr Andrews' suggestion that the unvaccinated will remain excluded in Victoria until at least 2023.

"We are anxious that in society - not just in churches - we don't create a division or an underclass of the unvaccinated," Bishop Barker says.

Barker said he understood Victorian health officials were reluctant to set a date for when unvaccinated people could have the same freedom because they didn't want them to simply wait it out.

"But I think personally, if we get to 90 percent double vaccination and low case numbers, it should end then."

Sources

• The Age
• Australian Financial Review