Former Teacher Claims Hutchins School Board Turned a Blind Eye to Reporting of Sexual Abuse

ABC News
November 20, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-20/former-teacher-claims-hutchins-school-board-turned-a-blind-eye-/5905138

PHOTO: Former Hutchins teacher Geoffrey Ayling said he left the school because it failed to deal with paedophilia.

A teacher who tried to alert the Hutchins School board to child sexual abuse allegedly occurring at the school in the 1960s will front the royal commission hearings in Hobart today.

It is the second day of public hearings in Tasmania of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

On the opening day, four former students gave evidence of the sexual abuse they allegedly suffered as boys at the hands of four staff members, including former headmaster David Lawrence.

In his opening address, counsel assisting the commission Angus Stewart SC said there was evidence the school board was aware of the abuse at the time and did nothing.

This morning, former Hutchins teacher Geoffrey Ayling will give evidence at the commission about a conversation he overheard between Mr Lawrence and another teacher, only known as AOC, who had just been dismissed.

"It is anticipated that Mr Ayling will give evidence that he heard Mr Lawrence say to AOC that he could not take him back as 'the board will find us out'," Mr Stewart said.

"Mr Ayling will say that he understood from the conversation that the reason why AOC was dismissed was because he was a paedophile and that AOC and Mr Lawrence shared a similar interest in boys.

"It is anticipated that Mr Ayling will give evidence that he reported this conversation to his friend and old boy, Michael Hodgman, who indicated he would take this information to the school board.

"Mr Ayling will give evidence that he believes Mr Hodgman did report the effect of this conversation to the board but nothing was done about it."

Mr Hodgman is a former Tasmanian MP and father of Premier Will Hodgman.

Former headmaster who found no evidence of abuse to appear

The commission will also hear from John Bednall, who was headmaster in the 1990s when a former student, known as AOA, first contacted the school seeking an apology for the abuse he allegedly suffered from Mr Lawrence.

Dr Bednall conducted a five-week investigation into AOA's allegations and found there was no supporting evidence that he was abused.

"I felt gutted by the response," AOA told the commission yesterday.

"I felt like I was not important and my complaint was not important. I felt badly let down and dismissed."

Hutchins lawyer Neil Clelland told the commission the current school board acknowledged the four students who gave evidence yesterday were abused by staff members in the 1960s.

"I am also instructed that the current board wishes to apologise for the hurt and distress caused to each of them. The current board also wishes to acknowledge to AOA that an apology should have been provided to him at an earlier time," he said.