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Knox Grammar Royal Commission...
By Janet Fife-Yeomans
Knox Grammar Royal Commission: Former headmaster Ian Paterson admits to hindering police investigation into paedophile ring THE man who ran Knox Grammar School for 30 years has admitted multiple failures which put vulnerable boys at the elite NSW school at risk. Asked about these failures, by counsel for the child abuse royal commission, former headmaster Ian Paterson answered “correct”, with the qualifications “in looking back” or “in retrospect”. Dr Paterson agreed he hadn’t delivered training for staff on mandatory reporting obligations; had no written policies on child protection; had no systems in place for interviewing or conducting reference or criminal checks for people applying to be housemasters and had never reported to police when students made allegations against teachers. Dr Paterson was insistent he did deal fairly with a boy who complained he had been propositioned by teacher Damien Vance. He sent to the 15-year-old to the library to think about what he had alleged, before accepting his story. “I dealt with that entirely fairly because I needed to be certain in my mind that what the boy was telling me was true,” he told the royal commission. In more damaging evidence for Knox Grammar, Dr Paterson earlier admitted that if he had done more, some of the boys may not have been abused. But he said that he was not aware that from 1988 teachers at non-government schools had a legal obligation to report child sex abuse to police and nor had he done anything to find out the effect that sexual abuse can have on boys. Counsel assisting the commission, David Lloyd asked him: “And you know that if you had done more to find out about the information and had taken steps to make investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse, that it is quite likely that a number of boys under your care would not have been abused.” Dr Patterson said: “Correct.” Earlier on Dr Paterson sensationally admitted he “deliberately hindered” a police investigation into five of the school’s paedophile teachers in 1996. He admitted not telling Inspector Beth Cullen that three of those teachers were still at the school — Craig Treloar, Barrie Stewart and Adrian Nisbett. Inspector Cullen from the Child Protection Support Agency had arrived at the school after making an appointment in December 1996 and told Dr Paterson she was investigating anonymous complaints about six teachers — including Damian Vance and Chris Fotis who he had sacked in 1989 because of their behaviour with boys, the commission was told today. Dr Paterson admitted he referred her to his secretary to show her the files. But he knew that the files contained nothing about the allegations. Mr Lloyd, said: “I suggest to you that you were deliberately attempting to mislead Inspector Cullen about matters which were central to her investigation?” Dr Paterson said: “I accept that.” Mr Lloyd: “And you did so with the intention of deliberately hindering the investigation that you knew she was conducting. that’s right, isn’t it?” Mr Paterson: “Yes.” Mr Lloyd: “And you knew that by failing to tell her about those things it was likely that her ability to investigate serious matters was likely to be adversely affected, do you agree? Mr Paterson: “Yes.” There was a roar from the former Knox students in the public gallery when Dr Paterson tried to blame Inspector Cullen for not questioning him properly. Mr Lloyd: “And the reason you were not questioned more closely is because you immediately referred Inspector Cullen to your secretary?” Dr Paterson: “That’s what happened, yes.” Mr Lloyd: “You are suggesting ... that there was some failing on the part of Inspector Cullen in those circumstances to have questioned you more closely?” Dr Paterson: “Yes I do.” It was not until 2009 that five teachers — Treloar, Nisbett, Stewart, Vance and Roger James — were charged by police with sexually assaulting pupils and convicted. Fotis, a former religious teacher who was believed to have been the man wearing a balaclava who hid under a boy’s bed in 1989 and “groped him”, has not turned up to give evidence and a warrant for his arrest remains outstanding, the commission was told today. The commission sitting in Sydney is investigating a cover up of sexual abuse at the school while Dr Paterson was headmaster between 1969 and 1998.
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