Royal commission into child sexual abuse...

7 News
November 24, 2014

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/25594528/royal-commission-into-child-sexual-abuse-dealing-with-hutchins-abuse-claims-not-my-job-ex-headmaster-says/

Bill Toppin gives evidence at the royal commission hearings in the Hobart Federal Court.

Royal commission into child sexual abuse: Dealing with Hutchins abuse claims not my job, ex- headmaster says

Allegations of sexual abuse against a former student of a Hobart private school were out of the headmaster's jurisdiction, a royal commission has heard.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has been investigating how the Hutchins School and the Anglican Church dealt with sexual abuse claims.

A former headmaster told the hearing that dealing with the claims of former students was up to the school's board.

Bill Toppin, who was headmaster from 1996-2007, had kept himself at arm's length from dealing with allegations made by the witness known as AOA.

Mr Toppin said he was told by the board thatAOA's allegations were being dealt with.

"As it was a board matter and I had 1,000 students, 2,000 parents, 300 staff, a foundation and around 6,000 old boys - that was the focus of my work," he said.

"That is what the board wished me to focus on and this matter [the claims of AOA's sexual abuse] they would deal with when the matter arose."

When pressed on his involvement in the school's response, Mr Toppin said decisions relating to AOA were a matter for the school board.

"I'm sorry to have to repeat myself - this matter was not under my active jurisdiction," he said.

Documents tendered to the hearing showed Mr Toppin wrote to lawyers, a media consultant, and AOA several times.

"They were administrative letters that I was asked to follow through," he said.

Hutchins finally apologised to AOA for the abuse he suffered from former headmaster David Lawrence about a month ago.

The most senior member of the Anglican Church in Tasmania broke down during his appearance.

Bishop John Harrower was questioned about his involvement in the decisions made.

Council assisting the royal commission Angus Stewart SC probed his involvement in the school's decisions not to fully apologise until just weeks before the commission began its Hobart hearings.

Mr Harrower said he was contacted in 2002 by the victim AOA and immediately sought a meeting with the school's headmaster and board chairman.

"It was a very important issue and because I'd been involved in dealing with sexual abuse, the seriousness of these matters and the way in which people had been so damaged for life, I was obviously very concerned when this came in," Bishop Harrower said.

An emotional Bishop Harrower said he supported saying sorry to the victims, but added he had no authority over the school board.

"I had come to see the importance of believing and giving people an apology and meeting them face to face," he said.

The royal commission has called a new witness for Tuesday's hearing - the state's former police commissioner Richard McCreadie.

A victim, known as AOB, who gave a statement to the hearing last week had resisted suggestions from the school that he take his allegations to police.

AOB told the commission he was assaulted by French teacher Lyndon Hickman but kept the abuse secret for 30 years.

He was told by then headmaster Mr Toppin that the school could not help and he should take his allegations to the police.

"Almost a year passed before I decided that I did not have any choice but to go to the Tasmania Police if I was to further progress my matter," he said.

The victim known as AOA first sought an apology from the school in 1993 and was denied until the school apologised to him just prior to the commission hearings.

Four victims have given testimony and on the first day of hearings the school acknowledged that they were abused and apologised.

Former headmaster Dr John Bednall, who AOA first approached for an apology, told the commission he had found not evidence to support AOA's claim after conducting a brief investigation in which he did not speak to any former pupils.

Documents released to the commission reveal Hutchins staff were instructed to hang up on callers who made persistent inquiries about sexual abuse.

A month ahead of the commission hearings, the school's current chairman David Morris wrote to former pupils and parents of current students telling them not to speak to the media about sexual abuse claims.

In a statement, Mr Morris confirmed the letter had been sent.

"The school has also facilitated a comprehensive process to support members of the entire school community through matters raised by the royal commission," he said.

This week the commission will also hear from current headmaster Warwick Dean.