Church Head ‘helped Destroy’ Student Sex Abuse Papers, Royal Commission Hears

Daily Telegraph
February 27, 2015

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/church-head-helped-destroy-student-sex-abuse-papers-royal-commission-hears/story-fni0cx12-1227241373545

THE headmaster of Knox Grammar says when he took over at the school, he wanted to sack an alleged pedophile teacher “on the spot” but was advised he could not.

John Weeks, who became headmaster at the private school on Sydney’s north shore in 2004, said the Association of Independent Schools advised him there weren’t sufficient grounds to sack Adrian Nisbett.

Mr Weeks told a royal commission hearing into child sex abuse there were “red flags” everywhere about Nisbett, who had been at the school since 1971.

He said Nisbett had been “a protected species at Knox Grammar School” when Ian Paterson was headmaster.

Current Knox Grammar School Headmaster John Weeks takes an oath before giving evidence at the royal commission.

Allegations included that he molested a boy in a darkroom and asked boys if they were interested in sex with men.

Mr Weeks ordered a second independent investigation into Nisbett, which found no firm evidence against him.

The 350-page report was handed over to the NSW Ombudsman. Mr Weeks said he went twice to the Ombudsman but was was never advised to go to police.

The commission has been told that the Ombudsman’s office had accepted it was remiss in not pursuing a referral to police.

Nisbett denied all allegations and was offered redundancy, Mr Weeks said.

He accepted the offer in September 2004 to take up a position with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.

In 2009 he was placed on a good behaviour bond for two counts of indecent dealings with boys at Knox.

Counsel advising the commission David Lloyd said Nisbett was unable to be summonsed to the commission because he was in South Africa

School of scandal... Knox Grammar.

Earlier, the NSW head of the Uniting Church, Jim Mein, had been implicated in the destruction of documents relating to the sexual abuse of students at Knox Grammar School.

A spokeswoman for the Uniting Church said Mr Mein would defend the allegation.

“Mr Mein, a former Moderator of the Uniting Church in Australia Synod of NSW and the ACT, looks forward to giving evidence in the Commission next week,” the spokeswoman said.

“Mr Mein will deny categorically the allegation that he was involved in destroying documents. The Uniting Church fully supports Mr Mein.”

At a royal commission hearing today, the former school council head Robert Wannan was questioned about a series of emails in 2009 regarding draft apologies from the school relating to abuse by teachers.

Mr Wannan received an email from a solicitor for the school and sent it to a number of people.

David Lloyd, counsel for the commission, said the email reached Dwane Feehley, who handled insurance for the Uniting Church. Mr Feehley then sent an email to another person warning: “Keep an eye on this we are dealing with a range of political issues, Jim is quite a problem for us at the moment”.

Mr Wannan, who had not seen the Feehley email until just before the commission hearing on Friday, said he assumed “Jim” was Mr Mein.

The email continues: “The solicitor who drafted this is the one who had been advising the school to destroy documents, with Jim (sic) assistance.” He denied having any knowledge about the destruction of documents.

Former school council head Robert Wannan giving evidence at Royal Commission today.

Mr Wannan, who is a solicitor of the Supreme Court, said he did not know who (solicitor) Mr Feehley would be referring to in the second paragraph.

Mr Lloyd: “Do you deny that you were at any time involved in giving advice to Knox Grammar to destroy documents?” Mr Wannan: “I emphatically deny that.” He said he had never been at a meeting at which the destruction of documents was discussed and no one at Knox had ever said they destroyed documents.

A joint apology from Knox and the Uniting church was issued in December 2009.

Mr Wannan said he recalled Mr Mein had an ex-officio role on the school council because he was director of the school ministry for the church.

He also told the commission he recalled a close liaison between Mr Mein and the school.

Asked whether there was ever any suggestion Mr Mein might have destroyed documents, Mr Wannan replied: “Never, and he is not the sort of man that would consider that.” The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is continuing