BishopAccountability.org
	Following Orders: Principal Denies Sex Neglect Charge By Peter Hardwick Brisbane Times November 17, 2009 http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/following-orders-principal-denies-sex-neglect-charge-20091117-iin6.html A Toowoomba Catholic primary school principal, charged with failing to report a student’s complaint that she was sexually assaulted by a teacher, claimed yesterday he had followed the instructions of his superiors. The principal, who has pleaded not guilty, cannot be named so as to protect the identity of the complainant children. He told Toowoomba Magistrates Court he had sought the advice of his immediate superiors in the Catholic Education Office when told of the Year 4 student’s allegations in September, 2007. Before a packed courtroom, including those supporting the principal and parents of some of the child complainants, he said it was his understanding under the relevant legislation that he was obliged to inform his employer of any such allegation and that was what he had done. Police claim the defendant’s actions in reporting the incident did not comply with that set out under the legislation and claim he could have contacted police in the first instance.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.