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Child-sex commission rejects evidence of Geelong Grammar ex-head
By Tessa Akerman
Australian
February 15, 2017
https://goo.gl/eGsouW
The royal commission into child sex abuse has rejected evidence by the former head of Geelong Grammar, John Lewis, that he was not told a teacher at the school tried to have sex with a student.
In its report into Geelong Grammar handed down yesterday, the commission found students BKM and BIA told Mr Lewis that Jonathan Harvey, a maths teacher/housemaster, “tried to have sex” with BKM in 1982. Counsel for Mr Lewis had submitted BKM and BIA’s evidence was compromised because they were giving evidence of historical events.
The commission rejected Mr Lewis’s submissions and made no finding as to whether the sexual abuse occurred.
Mr Lewis gave evidence that he didn’t speak to other teachers about the allegations because he would not have considered it appropriate.
The commission found Mr Lewis did not investigate the allegations to allow him to become “surer of (his) ground” and he should have reported the incident to the school council.
It found that by 1991, Mr Lewis knew not only about this allegation but also another allegation of sexual abuse on an overseas trip in 1985, visits by students to Harvey’s residence and perceptions Harvey was giving alcohol, to students. “With that knowledge, Mr Lewis permitted Harvey to occupy a position where he had unsupervised access to students,” it said.
“(He) did not take steps to prepare policies or procedures to protect the … students.”
In a letter to parents yesterday, current principal Stephen Meek said the school was very sorry some former senior staff neglected to respond to past students with the respect and protection they deserved.
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