Brisbane Grammar School Rejects Fee Refunds for Victims of Paedophile Counsellor Kevin Lynch

ABC News
February 12, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-12/brisbane-grammar-school-refuses-paedophile-victim-refunds/7164890

PHOTO: Brisbane Grammar School's board said the school continued to address the effects of abuse by Kevin Lynch. (ABC News)

Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) says it will not refund the school fees of former students sexually abused by paedophile counsellor Kevin Lynch in the 1970s and 1980s.

Many of the abused students gave evidence at Brisbane hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse last November.

In the wake of evidence given to the royal commission, the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane agreed to refund fees to its former students who were abused, after numerous complaints emerged from Lynch's time at the Anglican-run St Paul's School in northern Brisbane.

Lynch worked at St Paul's after his time at BGS.

BGS also agreed to consider the option of refunds, but revealed late on Friday it had decided against refunding fees.

In a statement, BGS said: "The board reiterated the school's commitment to continuing its work, which commenced in 2000, in addressing the effects of the abuse [by Lynch].

"The board has also considered and decided against adopting the initiative of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane in relation to the refund of school fees, but will continue with the existing approach to redress and compensation, which is in line with the recommendations of the royal commission."

The school would not make any further comment on the matter.

However, in a separate school community update, BGS said the average compensation paid by the school to victims of Lynch was $75,000, including legal fee contributions.

It said the royal commission recommended an average compensation payment of $65,000.

BGS is regarded as one of Brisbane's most prestigious private schools.

Established in 1868, it a non-denominational day and boarding school for boys in years five to 12 and is the city's oldest secondary school.

The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane decided in October it would refund fees.

In November, Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall reaffirmed that decision outside the royal commission's Brisbane hearings.

At that time, he spoke to a woman whose brother was abused at St Paul's.

She had written a letter to Dr Aspinall, requesting her brother's tuition fees be repaid.

The Brisbane hearings of the royal commission examined the conduct of Lynch, as well as music teacher and convicted paedophile Gregory Robert Knight.

Both worked at St Paul's during the 1980s and 1990s.