Protesters demand clergy sex abuse inquiry

The placard displays a Catholic schoolboy hanging his head in shame. He's been nailed to the cross.

For the many victims of childhood sexual abuse in the church, the image is a powerful symbol of how their lives have been damaged by the clergy - and how some victims have even taken their own lives.

Nobody knows how many.

But there were many crosses with many children at this protest outside the Victorian parliament on Sunday, all raised up high on white placards in the crowd of 100, all impacted in some way by years of inaction and continuing trauma.

Stephen Woods, a survivor who has waived his right to anonymity, joined the demands for both the coroner and state government to finally investigate mishandling by the church and state authorities, and any related suicides.

"We were molested. We were abused. We were bashed," he shouted to the crowd of supporters.

"So many times, I was told that it was my fault. I was told that I deserved this.

"I was a kid! How the hell do these people get away with it?"

Protest organiser Judy Courtin said the suicides of 26 men were linked to abuse suffered as children by two clergy at two schools in Victoria, but that number has since increased to 35 as more victims came forward.

"This government, by inaction, is increasing the risk of further suicides," she said.

"This is absolutely not acceptable."

A state government spokesman told AAP an existing inquiry into vulnerable children in state care, chaired by former judge Philip Cummins, was due to report back at the end of January.

The report may overlap into areas involving religious organisations, including whether mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse should be extended to the church.

The spokesman said the government "will await the inquiry's findings and recommendations on these matters before deciding whether or not there should be any further inquiry".

A decision can't come soon enough for survivors like Mr Woods, who directly called on Premier Ted Baillieu to take action now.

"If you don't have this inquiry, if you don't go to the coroner with everything, then clearly, you don't care," he said.

"You don't want to know and you don't give a damn."

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.