Victim told to pay sexual abuser's legal costs

9 News
May 19, 2014

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/05/19/18/18/victim-told-to-pay-sexual-abuser-s-legal-costs

A former teacher convicted of sexually abusing his student four decades ago is suing his victim for the legal costs of a compensation that never made it to court.

Neville Betteridge, 70, was convicted of sexually abusing his 14-year-old student, Mark Wurth, when he was a geography teacher and house master the Blue Mountains Grammar School in the 1970s.

"I didn't know what was going on I didn't understand yeah the whole thing particularly with another male," Mr Wurth told A Current Affair about the man he trusted who would take him back to his room at night.

At the time, the affluent school in Wentworth Falls was run by the Anglican Church and operated as a boarding school.

"He's actually just a disgusting piece of filth," said the former student, now in his 50s.

In 2004, Mr Betteridge was convicted of two counts of indecent assault against Mr Wurth and given a three-year suspended sentence.

Seven years later, Mr Wurth decided to sue the Anglican Church and his abuser for damages.

Mr Wurth took a small out-of-court settlement from the church and withdrew the action against his former teacher after an evaluation by his lawyer found he had few financial assets.

Sometime later, Mr Wurth received a bill from lawyers representing the former teacher demanding he pay the $10,000 legal costs of his court preparation — a bill that has since grown to $20,000.

"He's still got control over me, like he had control over me all those years ago when I was a vulnerable kid taking me from the dormitory to his room doing his thing with me," Mr Wurth said.

The law allows a defendant to claim legal costs from a plaintiff if the case never makes it to court.

"Now with the help of his lawyers he's still controlling me."

Hetty Johnson from the sexual assault and child abuse support group Bravehearts agrees with Mr Wurth.

"This is all about punishing him this predatory stuff I'm going to get you back for this I'm still in control you can run but can't hide," she told A Current Affair.

"His whole life has been destroyed because of the action of this fellow and he's still after him he's adult and he's still after him and won't let him go."

Ms Johnson said the law should be amended to protect victims from being sued by their abusers.

Mr Wurth believes his life was fundamentally altered by teenage experiences.

As well as his young-adult life being overrun with alcohol abuse and rebellion, Mr Wurth never achieved his dream of becoming an architect.

When asked whether using his victim for legal costs was the right thing to do, Mr Betteridge told A Current Affair:"It seems legally right to me."

But when pressed as to whether it was morally acceptable, he conceded: "Perhaps not."

Since his conviction, two more former Grammar School students have come forward with accusations against Mr Betteridge.