Trinity Grammar Deputy Headmaster Reveals He Knew about ‘sexualised Behaviour’ but Did Nothing
By Rohan Smith
STUDENTS at a prestigious Sydney private school rounded the edges of a large piece of machined wood and used it to rape other students, a royal commission has heard. The child sex abuse royal commission is focusing on what went on at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney’s inner west during August and September, 2000. Former students who attended the boarding school say they were held down and had boot polish rubbed on their genitals. Others say that on as many as 50 occasions they were held down and raped with the wooden instrument. When they told staff at the school, the alleged offenders were suspended “for the weekend” and allowed to return to school on Monday morning. In his opening address, counsel-assisting the inquiry David Lloyd said one Year 7 student, known as CLA, was sexually assaulted as “a birthday present”. On Friday, Mr Lloyd grilled the school’s deputy headmaster Peter Green, who was senior master when the attacks took place. Mr Green told the royal commission he is “shocked and horrified” by the incidents when he thinks about them today, but at the time he saw them as “inappropriate rumbling, sexualised behaviour” and nothing more. “I didn’t do anything,” Mr Green said. “It seemed to me to be poking, boys with clothes on. When I spoke to (one of the boys who reported an incident) I didn’t get the sense these were being rammed up boy’s backsides.” The incidents are believed to have taken place between August 11 and September 7, 2000. Staff were informed but no notification was given to NSW Police or the Department of Community Services. Victims eventually pushed for action and criminal proceedings commenced. Two of four boys involved pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault and were released on conditions.
An incident report from another former student, known as CLB, details that he was sitting on a landing when a number of boys grabbed him and dragged him into a dormitory. He says they rubbed boot polish on his face and took off his shoes and pants. He then grabbed the piece of wood and began swinging it at his attackers, yelling at them to “stop raping people”. Mr Green was asked on Friday if he would have acted differently had the victims been his own children. “You say you’ve got three sons — if these acts were to occur in your own house, what would you do?” Mr Green said he would “be appalled” and “do anything possible to find the culprits that did it to my son”. He admitted the “weekend suspension” was not sufficient punishment for those responsible. “On Friday they were sent home, they came back Monday. This is suspension from the boarding house, not the school. I cannot recall whether they were kept out of sport on Saturday.” Asked whether he should have done more, he acknowledged he would do things differently now. “This is where I could’ve done better. When two boys were named I did meet with them, I did lay the law down. I thought that with that, suspending the others and with greater supervision, that we were making the boarding house a much safer place. “I should’ve gone further. I suppose if I think back to that time, I still did not see this as (serious) as it was. I have read the reports recently and realise how horrific these things were that happened in the boarding house.” Counsel-assisting asked whether Mr Green knows today the full extent of the abuse that went on at Trinity? He said he likely does not know. Robert Scott, a former teacher at the school, and Milton Cujes, a former headmaster, will take the stand later on Friday. For support and information about suicide prevention, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
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