A high-profile investigation into Melbourne’s Fitzroy Community School (FCS) has gathered momentum as more than 20 former students prepare to take legal action over alleged decades of sexual abuse and a highly sexualized environment.

Decades of Unresolved Allegations

Founded in the 1970s by Faye Berryman and Philip O'Carroll, the school positioned itself as an alternative educational oasis designed to offer children freedom from mainstream institutional constraints. However, former students have come forward with harrowing accounts of inappropriate conduct and abuse occurring under the guise of bohemian values.

Sisters Kirsten and Gretel, who attended the school's Brunswick Street campus as young children in the mid-1970s, describe an environment marked by fear and exploitation. In statements submitted to law enforcement, allegations were raised detailing incidents where O'Carroll exposed himself to children, encouraged explicit acts, and engaged in sexualized behavior in front of minors.

"Child sexual abuse could be wrapped up in the shadows of what's considered to be bohemian values," Gretel stated. "But it's not bohemian values at all."

Police Inquiries and Institutional Lapses

Despite formal statements provided to Victoria Police as far back as 2006, former students report years of silence and inaction from authorities. Police incident reports from that period show the founders vehemently denied all allegations, describing them as "fanciful" and attributing them to personal falling-outs with families.

At the time, investigators closed the case citing a lack of physical or corroborating evidence. However, Victoria Police have confirmed that active investigations are now underway into allegations of sexual and physical abuse at the North Fitzroy campus occurring between 2009 and 2012, alongside broader historical claims.

Mounting Civil Action

Lawyers representing former students and parents indicate that civil proceedings are being launched against both the school administration and the state of Victoria. Legal representatives note that dozens of individuals have stepped forward seeking accountability for historical failures by regulators and law enforcement to act on earlier complaints.

With multiple police probes underway and civil claims mounting, the legacy of the alternative school faces unprecedented scrutiny over its handling of child safety and oversight over its multi-decade history.