Hutchins School abuse allegations: Tasmania's Anglican diocese to front sexual assault royal commission

ABC News
October 6, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-06/hutchins-school-abuse-allegations-at-royal-commission-hearing/5793276

Allegations of sexual abuse by a former Hutchins School headmaster and a former teacher will be considered in a public hearing.

The Hutchins School and Anglican Diocese of Tasmania will appear before the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse over allegations of sexual assault at the school in the 1960s.

The allegations relate to former headmaster David Lawrence and former teacher Lyndon Hickman, both of whom are dead.

The school and diocese have said they will cooperate fully with the royal commission.

Tasmania is the only state or territory where the commission has not yet taken formal evidence in open sessions.

However, public hearings will be held in Hobart next month, after the royal commission secured money for an extra 30 public hearings and 3,000 private sessions.

Evidence of abuse at St Virgil's school in Hobart in the 1950s was heard in private by the commission earlier this year.

Two Tasmania men allege they were the victims of sexual abuse, including assault and rape.

One of the men, Tony Rayner, said one event was violent.

"He did an awful lot of physical damage to my body," he said.

"I went back to my bed sobbing and crying and all the boys, well they didn't know what had happened, but they heard me screaming.

"I mean, I'd been screaming for five minutes at that stage, perhaps 10 minutes, a long time."

The two men are urging others to come forward.