Overview
On 1 May 2026 a class action proceeding was commenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the State of Victoria on behalf of individuals who were placed as children in a facility within the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct, and who experienced physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse, with associated emotional abuse.
The proceeding alleges that the State of Victoria failed in its duty of care to protect children at Parkville from physical and psychological harm.
Our class action will address the systemic operational and governance failures that have left children at Parkville vulnerable to incidents of abuse across a period of more than 50 years.
We welcome your inquiry even if you suffered abuse before or after the current claim period referred to above.
Background
The State of Victoria has operated youth detention and residential care facilities in the suburb of Parkville for more than 50 years. During the class action claim period, the site has included institutions known as the Turana Youth Training Centre, Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre, Melbourne Youth Justice Centre and Parkville Youth Residential Centre. Collectively, these facilities have been used to detain children from the age of 10 who were placed in the care of the State as wards, remanded due to alleged criminal offending, or sentenced to a period of imprisonment by the Children’s Court.
Several reports and inquiries have identified systemic failures in the operation and management of the Parkville youth detention facilities, including poor conditions, overcrowding, understaffing and a culture of fear, humiliation, violence and neglect.
The 2016 Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse, concluded that widespread sexual and physical abuse had occurred at Parkville when it operated as the institution Turana. Recommendations of the Royal Commission and other reports into Victoria’s youth detention system, have led to various legislative reforms aimed at ensuring the safety and rights of children in care are recognised. However, our investigations indicate that institutional child abuse has remained a prevalent issue at Parkville throughout the claim period.
Frequently asked questions
Below are some frequently asked questions about this Class Action.
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A class action (or group proceeding) is a single court case brought by a group of seven or more people who have all been affected in similar circumstances by the same person, company, or government. The claims must involve common issues of law or fact, and the proceeding is usually commenced by at least one lead applicant who represents all the group members.
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The Parkville class action has been filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the State of Victoria on behalf of individuals who were detained in a facility at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct anytime between 1 July 1973 and 31 December 2023 and who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse, and related emotional abuse when they were a child.
Detention at Parkville includes placement in any of the following named institutions; Turana Youth Training Centre (‘Turana’), Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre (‘MJJC’), Melbourne Youth Justice Centre (‘MYJC’) and/or the Parkville Youth Residential Centre (‘PYRC’).
If you were placed in one of these institutions and believe you have been affected, you may be entitled to compensation and should register your details.
Even if you were not at Parkville during the claim period (1 July 1973 to 31 December 2023), we encourage you to contact our office as the claims period can be extended.
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Some types of civil law claims have specific time limits for how long you have to lodge a claim with the Court. These time limits have been removed for claims relating to child abuse, where the abuse is physical abuse or sexual abuse, with associated emotional abuse. The class action also includes certain claims relating to isolation, strip searches and smoking related diseases that have arisen from the supply of cigarettes.
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The class action is operated on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis pursuant to the terms of our costs agreement. This means we will only recover legal costs if, and when, there is a successful result in the proceeding. Group members do not have to pay anything out of their own pocket. If the class action is successful, our costs will be recoverable from the compensation or damages awarded.
In addition, group members will not be held liable for the State’s legal costs if the claim fails.
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Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a timeframe at this stage of how long the class action will take to resolve. Our priority is to act in the best interests of all group members and to ensure that any outcome reached is fair and reasonable for everyone involved.
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Register your interest
If you were placed in a facility within the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct as a child, and believe that you have experienced physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse, with associated emotional abuse, please register with us to participate.