Knox Grammar Abuse Allegations to Be Investigated

By Helen Davidson
The Guardian
January 22, 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/22/knox-grammar-abuse-allegations-to-be-investigated

Royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse hearing will examine the response to allegations of ‘inappropriate conduct’ by employees between the years 1970 and 2012. Photograph: Royal commission, Jeremy Piper/AAP Image

The child sex abuse royal commission will publicly examine more than four decades of allegations and acts of child sexual abuse by teachers at prestigious Sydney private school Knox Grammar.

Commencing on 23 February, the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse will hold a public hearing into what actions were taken by the school and the Uniting Church when it was made aware of allegations of “inappropriate conduct” by employees between the years 1970 and 2012.

The hearing will examine:

• The sexual abuse of former students;

• The response of the school and the Uniting Church in Australia to concerns raised about the abuse, including investigations and subsequent and criminal proceedings;

• The systems, policies and procedures in place at the school regarding raising and responding to concerns;

• The regulatory system governing Knox’s response, as a non-government school in New South Wales, to the allegations.

“Any person or institution who believes that they have a direct and substantial interest in the scope and purpose of the public hearing is invited to lodge a written application for leave to appear at the public hearing by 9 February 2015,” said the commission.

In 2010 a former boarding master was jailed for sexually abusing four students aged 12 and 14 in the 1980s, and for possessing child pornography. The district court heard that Craig Treloar remained at the school for 20 years after he was allegedly reported for showing students porn videos, the ABC reported.

At the time he was one of five teachers charged after an investigation into abuse at the school was sparked by two former students coming forward with allegations about Treloar.

Knox Grammar, which was founded in 1924 on Sydney’s north shore, has numerous high profile Australians among its alumni, including businessmen, judges, past prime ministers, ministers and other politicians, journalists and media heavyweights, actors and sporting stars.

The public hearing into Knox Grammar will be the 23rd carried out by the royal commission since it was established by former prime minister Julia Gillard in 2012. It has held public hearings into numerous religious, educational and government institutions, including the Catholic Church; the Salvation Army; the Marist Brothers; government-run facilities for orphans, Indigenous children and juvenile detainees; Swimming Australia; Scouts Australia; and a yoga ashram.

The headmaster of Knox Grammar, John Weeks, told Guardian Australia the matters were “well publicised in 2009” and defended the school’s past actions.

“The school has always accepted its responsibility and sought to support firstly the police enquiries and, most importantly, any former students who were identified as having been sexually abused,” Weeks said in a statement.

“In 2009 the school and the Uniting Church provided a public apology and offered personal apologies to all concerned.” Weeks said the school “looks forward to working with the royal commission.”