Abuse spotlight on top Sydney school

Sky News
February 23, 2015

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/02/23/abuse-spotlight-on-top-sydney-school.html

An inquiry into child sexual abuse at one of Australia's most exclusive schools for boys opens in Sydney on Monday.

The public hearing will examine the response of the Uniting Church and Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, NSW between 1970 and 2012 to concerns raised about inappropriate conduct by a number of teachers towards students at the school.

The expensive private school, whose old boys include judges, politicians such as the late Gough Whitlam and actors Hugh Jackman and Hugo Weaving, faced adverse publicity in 2009 when four teachers pleaded guilty to abusing students.

The royal commission will look closely the school's regulatory system as it emerged in the 2009 proceedings that some teachers were allowed to teach for decades after complaints.

When the hearing was announced current headmaster John Weeks wrote to old boys saying the sex abuse incidents had been widely publicised in 2009 and Knox had "always accepted its responsibility in this matter".

Mr Weeks also said Knox has a most comprehensive child protection policy covering staff selection and training, student awareness and support structures.