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	Teacher Who Failed to Report Abuse Rehired By Rosanne Barrett The Australian December 2, 2010 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/teacher-who-failed-to-report-abuse-rehired/story-e6frg6nf-1225964151160 A TOOWOOMBA principal who was sacked after failing to report to police serious sexual abuse allegations against a teacher has been rehired. The former principal has been employed as a supply teacher at a Catholic primary school in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, to the dismay of some victims' families, who declared him derelict in his duty for not reporting the allegations. Yesterday families of five girls abused by former teacher Gerard Vincent Byrnes reached a settlement with the Catholic Church's Toowoomba diocese to discontinue their legal proceedings. A further three girls' families are expected to settle their cases next year. Byrnes, 61, pleaded guilty in April to 44 sexual abuse charges, including 33 of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and 10 counts of rape. Byrnes was sentenced to 10 years' jail, which is being appealed by the Queensland Attorney-General as insufficient to reflect the severity of the abuse. The principal, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was the first person in Australia to be charged under laws requiring the mandatory reporting to police of suspicions of child-sex abuse. He was acquitted in December last year despite Toowoomba magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist finding it was "clear that a person in the school or the school's governing body has committed an offence". Lawyer for the families Damian Scattini, of Slater & Gordon, yesterday acknowledged efforts by Bishop William Morris, who this year admitted the church's liability in an Australian first. "The families are relieved that this part of it is over," Mr Scattini said. "They're appreciative that the church, and especially the Bishop, handled it sensibly and they will be able to close this chapter." But he said the families were very disappointed the principal had been re-employed by the Catholic education sector.
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