Child Abuse Royal Commission: Trinity Grammar School Students Raped Other Students, Inquiry Hears
By Raveen Hunjan
Students at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney's inner-west raped and simulated rape on other students using a wooden implement more than 15 years ago, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard. The inquiry is hearing evidence about responses to harmful sexual behaviour at three unnamed New South Wales primary schools, three faith-based private schools — Trinity Grammar School, The King's School and St Ignatius College — as well as a private school, Shalom Christian College in Queensland. In his opening address, counsel-assisting the inquiry David Lloyd said Trinity Grammar School staff knew about sexual abuse against a Year 7 student, known as CLA, for a month before action was taken. "Between 11 August 2000 and 7 September 2000, at least some staff at the school were aware of multiple written accounts of students who alleged "Between 11 August 2000 and 7 September 2000, at least some staff at the school were aware of multiple written accounts of students who alleged that there had been repeated incidents of rape or simulated rape of young boys in the boarding house by the use of a wooden dildo and other implements," he said. "Yet no notification of the detail of these incidents was given to the NSW Police or the Department of Community Services." Mr Lloyd said CLA alleged one of the worst assaults was on CLA's birthday when he was given a "birthday present". "[CLA] was bound with tape and sexually assaulted with a wooden implement which he called a dildo, which had been made by another boy in wood-work class at the school," Mr Lloyd said. Criminal proceeding commenced against four boys in relation to the assaults, and two entered guilty pleas to charges of indecent assault. They were given non-custodial sentences and released on conditions. CLA's father told the inquiry that he and his wife were not told of the details of their son's assault by the school and had to instead read them in a police transcript. "We had no idea of the nature of the assault — that it was actually rape. That CLA had been tied up and that it had happened to him at least 50 times," he said. "I still can't believe the school never told us what happened to CLA in the boarding house on their watch." The boy's father said Trinity Grammar School failed to expel the students when he requested they do so, and that the headmaster, Milton Cujes, even suggested CLA live with him on campus as a solution. "I believe they had no idea how to deal with an incident of this magnitude, so they tried to bury it," CLA's father said. "It felt like the school leadership was only interested in protecting the school." Abusive bullying at The Kings School: Inquiry The commission also heard boys at The Kings School at Parramatta, in Sydney's west, subjected a Year 7 student, known as CLC, to abusive bullying at a camp as recently as 2013. Counsel-assisting said CLC was sleeping in April 2013 when he rolled over and saw another boy had ejaculated on his sleeping bag and, after telling his friends, boys began teasing him. "He will say that on the bus ride back to the school after the camp, other boys were calling CLC 'cum rag' and 'cum dumpster'," Mr Lloyd said. The boy's parents attended a meeting with the Deputy Headmaster, Dr Andrew Parry, the housemaster, Andrew Mansfield, and a counsellor four months after the incident.
Police and Dr Parry emailed the school about the incident in August 2013, and counsel-assisting said it was forwarded to current King's School headmaster, Dr Timothy Hawkes. "The incident should be reported to police so that the exact offence can be determined, and the victim can be contacted for statements if willing," the police said in the email. When a meeting with the principal and the boy's parents occurred in October, counsel-assisting said the boy's father felt Dr Hawkes passed blame on to the child. "Dr Hawkes said that CLC bore some of the blame and responsibility for the bullying, because he did not report the camp incident when it occurred," Mr Lloyd said. "In a subsequent letter … Dr Hawkes said to CLC's parents that one of the principal people to keep the cadet camp incident secret from the school and CLC's parents for so long was CLC." Police investigated the incident in November 2014 and no charges were brought because while the email had been sent to authorities, the incident was never formally reported. One of CLC's alleged student perpetrators subsequently left the school and two were suspended. CLC transferred to St Ignatius College, Riverview, in Year 11 and reported a positive experience after being supported by both students and a counsellor. Shalom Christian College assault The inquiry also heard that four boys — two students at Shalom Christian College in Queensland and two boarding there — sexually assaulted a female student, CLF, in 2006. Counsel-assisting said when the girl's parents met with the then headmaster, Christopher Shirley, about the sexual assault, they were told their daughter had been "acting promiscuously".
"Mr Shirley said, 'There had been stories going around about CLF offering sexual favours to boys'," Mr Lloyd told the inquiry. The girl's mother reported she felt the principal tried to persuade her not to report the incident to police as the boys were from influential Indigenous families in Townsville. Six years later when the case was heard in court, one boy was charged with two counts of rape, and two others each with one count of rape. Following a trial, they were acquitted of rape but convicted of indecent treatment of a child under 16. They had no convictions recorded. The fourth boy was issued a caution after appearing in children's court.
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