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Royal Commission into child sex abuse...
By Rachel Browne And Melanie Kembrey
Royal Commission into child sex abuse: Knox Grammar headmaster Ian Paterson admits he could have stopped abuse Former Knox Grammar School headmaster Ian Paterson told a royal commission that he could have stopped the child sexual abuse which pervaded the school over a 30-year period. Dr Paterson agreed he had thousands of boys under his care during his time as headmaster between 1969 and 1998 but never attempted to find out about the impact of child sexual abuse despite multiple allegations coming to his attention as early as 1975. Under questioning from counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, David Lloyd, Dr Paterson said he could have prevented boys from being abused. "If you had done more 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," Mr Lloyd said. "Correct," Dr Paterson replied. In earlier evidence Dr Paterson admitted misleading a police officer from the child protection enforcement agency who quizzed him about child sex abuse claims at the school after receiving anonymous information in 1996. Dr Paterson said he failed to assist the officer an deliberately hindered her investigation when she questioned him about six teachers suspected of abuse. At the time three of the teachers under suspicion were still working at the Wahroonga school. The commission heard Inspector Beth Cullen met Dr Paterson at the school and asked for information about the teachers. Dr Paterson told the commission he was aware of sex abuse allegations against five of the teachers at that time but did not tell the officer. He told the commission he referred her to their staff files, in full knowledge they contained no recordings of child sexual abuse. Under questioning by Mr Lloyd, Dr Paterson agreed that he deliberately misled Inspector Cullen and hindered the investigation but said he could not remember why. "I can't recall why I did not reveal to Inspector Cullen my information about those teachers," he said. He agreed it appeared he was trying to protect the teachers but when asked by Mr Lloyd whether he also wanted to maintain the school's reputation he replied: "I can't recall." He also admitted attempting to cover up potential legal action by a former student who was molested by "notorious groper" Barrie Stewart. Geoffrey Watson QC, who is representing the school, accused Dr Paterson of giving false evidence to the commission in a deliberate attempt to play down his role in the cover up. The commission heard Dr Paterson knew Roger James was "too close" to students in 1975 and he was aware of allegations about Adrian Nisbett, Craig Treloar, Christopher Fotis and Damien Vance in the 1980s. In 1992 he learned of allegations about Barrie Stewartand another teacher Bob James, the commission heard. He told Mr Watson that while he was aware of the claims: "I did not see the potential for or actual child abuse". Dr Paterson also suggested that Nisbett's touching of students may have been accidental. Nisbett, Treloar, Stewart, James and Vance were convicted over the offences against boys at Knox. The hearing continues.
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