AUSTRALIA
7 News
AAP
February 11, 2015
A Queensland principal failed to appropriately deal with a pedophile teacher who sexually abused 13 schoolgirls, a report has found.
Terence Hayes didn’t report two allegations of sexual abuse against teacher Gerard Byrnes in 2007, despite having clear instructions to do so in the Catholic school’s child protection kit.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse report said the steps the Toowoomba principal took to monitor Byrnes “were inadequate and inappropriate”.
Despite the allegations against him, Mr Hayes allowed Byrnes to continue in his role as child protection officer for more than six months.
Byrnes retired from the position in June 2008, but Mr Hayes also allowed him to be re-hired as a relief teacher at the same school in July 2008.
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