Former St Ann’s School Principal Who Hired Paedophile Brian Perkins ‘made Mistake’ over Police Check

By Sally Brooks
Daily Telegraph
March 21, 2014

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/former-st-anns-school-principal-who-hired-paedophile-brian-perkins-made-mistake-over-police-check/story-fnii5yv6-1226861213067

A FORMER school principal who employed paedophile bus driver Brian Perkins at St Ann’s Special School more than two decades ago has denied he lied about doing a police check on Perkins, but instead says he made a mistake.

Claude Hamam has told an inquiry into the handling of sexual abuse claims at the school that he deeply regrets stating that he did do a police check, at his first interview with the Catholic Education Office in 2001.

“I made a mistake. It was an error of judgment on my part. I did not in any way fabricate the truth,” he said.

“I admitted at a subsequent interview with Catholic Education that I had not done a police check and I was accused of lying.

“This left me shocked and devastated, as I had not intentionally lied but made a mistake.”

Mr Hamam told the inquiry he resigned from Catholic Education in 2003, after 21 years of dedicated service as a teacher and principal.

“However, in his letter of dismissal, the director Allan Dooley stated that I was not a fit and proper person.

Paedophile bus driver Brian Perkins.

“To this day, these words have caused great anguish to me and my family.

“I am a fit and proper person and I’m here today to give evidence as the principal of St Ann’s Special School between 1985 and 1996.”

The former director of the Catholic Education Office Allan Dooley gave evidence at the inquiry yesterday.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the handling of claims of child sexual abuse at St Ann’s special school at Marion between 1985 and 1991 by the Catholic Church and South Australia Police.

Today is the fifth day of the inquiry, which is expected to extend until Monday, with key witnesses including Archbishop Philip Wilson yet to give evidence.

Under questioning from Counsel Assisting the Commission Sophie David, Mr Hamam said he employed Perkins in 1986 after placing an advertisement in a newspaper.

Mr Hamam told the inquiry there were also other applicants for the bus driving job, but at the interview Perkins seemed to be a suitable person for the position.

The witness said he can’t remember if he made a telephone call to check Perkins written references, and as previously revealed, said he did not do a police check on Perkins.

In response to questions from Ms David, Mr Hamam agreed that he did not comply with policies from the South Australian Catholic Schools handbook, which included a requirement that more than one staff member should interview applicants for a job.

The inquiry heard that after being employed as the bus driver, Perkins’ work at the school also extended to volunteering in the woodwork shed and volunteering to provide respite care of students on weekends.

Mr Hamam agreed that Perkin’s increased responsibilities allowed him more contact with the students, but said the school was “vigilant” in supervision.

Mr Hamam said he was unaware children went to the woodwork shed at lunchtime alone to see Perkins, and that the shed was right behind the principal’s office.

“We were very much aware of the supervision of the children but at the time there was an element of trust that we had for all for all the staff there,” he said.

“So in hindsight, what I would have done today in terms of supervision, it was a difficult thing but at the time we never suspected anything.”

Ms David also questioned the witness about Perkins’ offer to provide respite care.

Mr Hamam said it wasn’t a formal arrangement with the school, and it was the parent’s choice about whether they should use the care service.

But Mr Hamam did agree he had a responsibility to make inquiries about the respite care being offered by Perkins because he was an employee at the school

The Commission also heard that parents had raised concerns with Mr Hamam, prior to the principal being made aware of the allegations of Perkins sexual misconduct in 1991, about the bus being late when dropping their children off from school.

Mr Hamam said he would have raised those concerns with Perkins.

He said Perkins may have told Mr Hamam that the reason the bus was late was because of road works, accidents or disagreements with children on the bus.

Counsel Assisting Ms David asked the witness if he remembers a teaching raising concerns with Mr Hamam about Perkins bringing another man, now a convicted paedophile, to the school

Mr Hamam said he did remember this, and the teacher telling him she felt the man was “creepy.”

The Commission heard Mr Hamam told Perkin’s friend that he wasn’t needed at the school.

Mr Hamam said he first became aware of the allegations of sexual misconduct involving Perkins after a phone call from police to him in 1991.

Mr Hamam said he then notified Michael Critchley at the Catholic Education Office (CEO) of the allegations, and he thought Mr Critchley would contact the CEO director.

In response to questions from Ms David, Mr Hamam agreed the allegations were never discussed at board of meetings of management, which was responsible for the day to day running of the school.

That was despite Mr Hamam having raising the allegations of abuse with the chairman of that board at the time, Paul Morrissey.

Mr Hamam told the inquiry he never raised the abuse allegations with the Archbishop at the time, Leonard Faulkner.