Parents of victims of Toowoomba school sex predator....

NEWS.com.au
February 23, 2014

http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/parents-of-victims-of-toowoomba-school-sex-predator-attack-catholic-church-for-protecting-staff/story-fnii5v6w-1226834813719

Serious allegations were made about Toowoomba Catholic school teacher Gerard Byrnes a year before his arrest for child sexual abuse offences.

PARENTS of some of the 13 girls abused by pedophile ­Gerard Byrnes have attacked the Catholic Church for continuing to employ staff who have admitted failing to protect students.

As a royal commission prepares to hear evidence from former Toowoomba Bishop William Morris tomorrow, parents say the church should not employ staff who admit they did not follow correct ­procedures when dealing with Byrnes.

“We can’t understand how they could all knowingly allow the sexual abuse to continue.’’

Byrnes pleaded guilty in the Toowoomba District Court in 2010 to 33 counts of indecent dealing with a child under 12, 10 counts of rape and one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 12.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse has already heard key figures in Catholic Education failed to pursue serious allegations against Byrne made more than one year before his arrest.

Former school principal Terence Hayes, still employed by the Church as a primary teacher, dismissed allegations Byrnes put his hand up girls’ skirts as gossip, failing to include it in critical internal communications.

Lawyer Monique Scattini, who represented families who successfully sued the Church over the Byrne attacks, said the week had been gut wrenching for victims’ families.

She said staff who appeared at the commission would see themselves as decent, caring educators.

“Yet, they did nothing while they were on notice that there was a predator loose among the children in their care,” Ms Scattini said.