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	Father of Sex Victim Speaks out By Jim Campbell The Chronicle December 3, 2010 http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2010/12/03/sex-abuse-victim-church-hire-principal/ [with reader poll] THE father of a girl who was sexually abused by a teacher at a Toowoomba Catholic primary school says his family's experience has been a nightmare that will never end. The family was one of five to this week reach a settlement with the Catholic Church over the sexual abuse their children suffered at the hands of convicted rapist Gerard Vincent Byrnes. But just as he felt they were making progress following the out-of-court settlement, the father of the abused girl was outraged yesterday when it was revealed the principal at the centre of the sex abuse scandal had been rehired at a Catholic primary school in Ipswich. A Brisbane Catholic Education spokesman yesterday confirmed the ex-principal had been working in a casual capacity as a supply or relief teacher, covering for other teachers who were absent. The spokesman said the man had not sought employment as a principal within the organisation. The girl's father said the development had left his family feeling “lost and empty” despite the settlement with the church this week. “If an experienced, mature person in the ultimate position of responsibility and trust as a school principal makes such an error in judgement at one school, how can the same person 12 months later now be a person that parents should entrust their young children to?” the father said. The principal 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”. The Brisbane Catholic Education spokesman said they were aware of the man's involvement in the scandal. “Our position is that whilst his behaviour was a serious breach of his responsibilities as a manager (as the school principal), that is not the capacity in which he has done some work for us. “His casual work for Brisbane Catholic Education is simply as a classroom teacher — a completely different job with different responsibilities.” The spokesman said it would be up to the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office as to whether the man could return to work in a Toowoomba school. He said the man was technically permitted to work at any school in Queensland (Catholic, state or independent), because his teacher registration had never been withdrawn. On December 12, 2009, the day Bishop William Morris sacked the principal, he said to the media, “The principal's conduct compromised student safety by allowing and facilitating the teacher's return to the school as a relief teacher following the teacher's resignation in June, 2008. “His actions show a clear lack of understanding of the expected level of behaviour of a principal in whom I reposed a high level of trust.” 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. He was sentenced to 10 years' jail. The sentence is currently being appealed by Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick as insufficient to reflect the severity of the abuse.
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