AUSTRALIA
Northern Rivers Echo
Adam Davies 20th Feb 2014
A FORMER Toowoomba primary school principal suspected veteran teacher Gerard Vincent Byrnes posed a risk to students but did not report the matter to either his superiors or the police.
Terence Michael Hayes admitted he omitted serious allegations levelled against Byrnes in a letter to his superiors, instead giving the convicted pedophile the benefit of the doubt.
The Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Brisbane also heard explosive evidence which revealed the Catholic Education Office in Toowoomba had sent principals a fact sheet on how to deal with abuse allegations in October 2007.
The fact sheet titled ‘Student Protection and Risk Management’ outlined the roles and responsibilities principals had when dealing with child sexual abuse allegations.
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