AUSTRALIA
The Chronicle

Chris Calcino 18th Feb 2014

UPDATE: Toowoomba Catholic Diocese management has been accused of deleting claims that a teacher put his hand down a student’s pants from a disciplinary letter.

The Royal Commission inquiry into child sex abuse at a Toowoomba school has heard Toowoomba Diocese senior education officer Christopher Fry told the school’s principal to remove “hands down the pants” claims from a letter to since-convicted pedophile teacher Gerard Vincent Byrnes.

Issues were also raised over the original draft sent by then-principal Terence Hayes, in which allegations Byrnes put his hand up girls’ skirts were also omitted.

Mr Hayes attributed the omission to haste rather than any conscious decision, despite the fact notes taken by student protection officer Catherine Long detailing the allegation were in the same office from which he sent the draft email.