AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Bridie Jabour and agencies
@bkjabour
Tuesday 3 March 2015
The former headmaster of Knox Grammar school has admitted deliberately impeding a police investigation into paedophile teachers working at the school.
Ian Paterson was approached by Inspector Elizabeth Cullen from the child protection enforcement agency about complaints of child sex abuse at the school in 1996. Paterson told Cullen he was not aware of any complaints, which he has admitted was a lie.
He made the admission in his second day of evidence at the royal commission into institutional responses to child abuse.
He also directed Cullen to files he knew would contain no information. It was not until 2009 that teachers from Knox were charged with child sex abuse offences which dated back to the 1980s.
In reply to counsel advising the royal commission, David Lloyd, Paterson agreed he knew this would impede the investigation.
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