Knox Grammar Old Boy Saw Headmaster Hit Girl on Buttocks: ‘it Was More of a Grope’
By Janet Fife-yeomans
Dr Paterson, 81, has vehemently denied touching Ms Perry during the rehearsal in the Knox assembly hall in 1989. This week he did, however, admit to covering up sex abuse of pupils by at least five of his teachers and deliberately lying to police. Ms Perry, 41, claimed she was sexually assaulted by Dr Paterson as a 15-year-old during the rehearsals, when she was part of the chorus of girls wearing feather boas and fishnet tights.
The old boy, who has asked not to be identified, told the commission he saw Dr Paterson “hit her on the buttocks” and that his hand had stayed there. “It was more of a grope,” the old boy said. “Lucy had to almost jump out of his grasp and she turned and she gave a small scream of surprise.” He said he had been 90 per cent sure in 1989 that he had witnessed a sexual assault but he was now 100 per cent sure after hearing what Ms Perry told the commission. Brian Buggy, the former Knox director of music who had been involved with Guys and Dolls, later told the commission he never saw Dr Paterson sexually assault Ms Perry or anyone else, adding it “would be totally out of character for him. It would have been the gossip around the school”.
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