Disclosing Abuse
If you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please call 000 immediately.
If you wish to make a report of abuse that is a criminal offence please contact the police in the first instance.
Police Contact
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Local Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) locations and phone numbers Website
If you wish to make a complaint before Pathways commences in 2022, you can contact the below responses.
If your complaint is against clergy and religious associated with the Archdiocese of Melbourne please contact:
Contact: Jeff Gleeson QC
Position: Independent Commissioner
Phone: 03 9225 6411
Email: psu@cam.org.au
If your complaint is against clergy and religious associated with the Diocese of Ballarat, Diocese of Sale or Diocese of Sandhurst please contact:
Contact: Michael Iacovino
Position: Director, Professional Standards
Phone: 1800 816 030
Email: office@catholic.psovic.org.au
If you wish to make a report of abuse to the National Redress Scheme or your report falls outside the Pathways scope of abuse you may encourage you to visit our resources page.
Mandatory Reporting
Duty of every Victorian adult to report child sexual abuse
Any adult who forms a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under 16 has an obligation to report that information to Police. Failure to disclose the information to Police is a criminal offence: Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), s327.
Duty of person in religious ministry to report
Every person in Holy Orders or authorised for lay ministry who in the course of their ministry forms the belief on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection on a ground referred to below must report to the Secretary of the Department of Human Services that belief and the reasonable grounds for it as soon as practicable—
(a) after forming the belief; and
(b) after each occasion on which he or she becomes aware of any further reasonable grounds for the belief.
The grounds are that–
(c) the child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of physical injury and the child‘s parents have not protected, or are unlikely to protect, the child from harm of that type; and
(d) the child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of sexual abuse and the child‘sparents have not protected, or are unlikely to protect, the child from harm of that type.
Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, s184 (commencing no later than 1 September 2020)
Reportable Conduct Scheme
From 1 January 2018 religious organisations became subject to the Reportable Conduct Scheme, constituted under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.
The Reportable Conduct Scheme is one of the measures introduced by the Victorian government for the protection of children as a result of the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Inquiry. The Scheme requires organisations to notify the Commission for Children and Young People of allegations of physical or sexual abuse of a child and related misconduct.
A reportable allegation means any information that leads a person to form a reasonable belief that an employee has committed –
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reportable conduct; or
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misconduct that may involve reportable conduct—
whether or not the conduct or misconduct is alleged to have occurred within the course of the person’s employment.
An employee is a person over 18 and employed by the organisation. Also deemed to be employees are volunteers, contractors, and priests.
All employees, whether or not they work with children, are subject to the Scheme. Due to the definition including volunteers, parish office holders and even members of the congregation are subject to the Scheme.