Sarah Pallett

MP for Ilam

I would like to acknowledge the strong leadership of Christine O’Neill, who has been proactive, courageous and determinedly protective of the young women and rainbow community of her school.

I am immensely proud of the students for their bravery and honesty in their responses to this survey.

I am deeply saddened but not surprised by the high incidence of sexual harassment and assault experienced by students, as it is consistent with what I know to be a broader societal problem.

It is notable that following incidents of harassment and assault, the students describe changing their behaviour. Whilst this is understandable, full responsibility for the harassment and assaults and therefore of their cessation lies with the perpetrators, who are almost all male, both school age and older. It is to them therefore and not the victims that we need to look in order to eliminate the inexcusable harassment and abuse that our young women and rainbow community are facing on a daily basis.

The school and students have my full support.

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