AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Bridie Jabour
@bkjabour
Sunday 22 February 2015 23.07 EST
One of Sydney’s most prestigious private schools, Knox Grammar School, ignored and covered up sexual abuse of students for more than 30 years, the royal commission into child sexual abuse has heard.
Knox formally apologised on the first day of the hearing after allegations of sexual abuse of multiple young boys and teenagers were heard, including that they were fondled, masturbated and asked to perform oral sex on at least one teacher. Key documents regarding the abuse and kept by different headmasters have disappeared over the years with Knox unable to provide an explanation.
The school is also accused of not once reporting allegations of child abuse to New South Wales police despite numerous complaints.
After the allegations were detailed in the opening address of the hearing, counsel representing Knox Grammar School, Geoffrey Watson, offered an apology, the first one of the witnesses said he had heard.
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