Bundoora pastor tells royal commission of remorse over teacher’s abuse of students

By Megan Bailey, Diamond Valley
Herald Sun
October 15, 2014

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/bundoora-pastor-tells-royal-commission-of-remorse-over-teachers-abuse-of-students/story-fnglenug-1227091194137

Kenneth John Sandilands has twice been jailed for abusing children.

A PASTOR from Bundoora’s Encompass Church has expressed remorse to the victims of paedophile teacher Kenneth Sandilands during hearings into the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

In 2000, Kenneth Sandilands, now 69, pleaded guilty and was jailed for two years for 13 counts of indecently assaulting eight students in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Pastor John Spinella, from Encompass Church (formerly Northside Christian Church), was at Northside Christian College and was on the church board during Sandilands’ time.

Mr Spinella yesterday told the commission hearing the organisation had “bungled” its handling of the matter, in particular the Reverend Denis Smith, who had the power to fire Sandilands.

Mr Spinella said the school now had a mandatory reporting policy for suspected abuse.

“I apologise; I apologise on behalf of our church and for the failures of the Northside Christian College; I am just so sorry,” Mr Spinella said at the hearing.

“It should never have happened, it should never have been allowed to continue and I apologise to the victims.

“We will do anything in our power, both the college and the church, to ensure as much as possible this will never happen again.”

Mr Smith, who was a leader at the church at the time, told the hearing he “hoped and prayed that those affected by this tragedy would find a future hope for their lives”.

“I am saddened by what I have learned and for the deceit perpetrated by Mr Sandilands,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Spinella told the hearing he suggested Mr Smith step down from his role after mediation with the victims and their families and told him the church had failed in its duty of care.

Mr Smith said he was never told anything that indicated he had been neglectful or failed to act properly.

The Daily Telegraph reported teacher Margaret Furlong told the commission on October 13 teachers were “terrified and frightened” to say anything about Mr Sandilands for fear of reprisal from Mr Smith.

In September, Sandilands was sentenced to another 26 months jail for abusing children at St Paul’s Anglican Primary School in Frankston between 1970 and 1974.