Child Abuse Royal Commission: Two Former Geelong Grammar Principals Say They Regret Their Handling of Sexual Abuse Complaints
By Guy Stayner
Two former principals of Geelong Grammar have told the child abuse Royal Commission they regret their handling of abuse complaints at the school. The headmaster of Sydney's prestigious Cranbrook School, Nicholas Sampson, and John Lewis, who went on to be headmaster at the world-renowned Eton College in England, on Thursday fronted the commission over their time as principals at the school in Geelong. Mr Sampson was headmaster at Geelong for three years from 2001 and authorised the payment of a year's salary to teacher, Jonathan Harvey, after sex abuse allegations were made against him. "I personally regret some of the things I did and I certainly wouldn't do them again," Mr Sampson told the Commission. Minutes of a Geelong Grammar Principal's report from 2004, detailing Mr Sampson's response to the allegations, were read to the Commission. "There is no record, no allegation and no individual has come forward on this yet, but it is felt that the school should take action to resolve it as quickly and quietly as possible," it said. Mr Sampson told the Royal Commission a former pupil made the abuse allegations and wanted Harvey removed from the school. He said he organised Harvey's resignation by offering to pay out the final year of his contract. I think I'd be much better equipped to deal with [sex abuse allegations] now. Nicholas Sampson, former Geelong Grammar principal Harvey resigned from the school after being offered $64,000 to not teach in 2005. In 2007, the former teacher was jailed for 10 months for abusing a Geelong Grammar student between 1976 and 1978. Mr Sampson said he acted according to the wishes of the complainant and to protect other students. But he did not report Harvey to the Victorian Institute of Teaching and there was nothing stopping Harvey from seeking employment at other schools. The Royal Commission was told there were no references to the abuse allegations in Harvey's employment file or his letter of resignation. "It is something intolerable that somebody charged with pastoral responsibility should abuse it in that way," Mr Sampson said. "I think I'd be much better equipped to deal with it now." Former headmaster's 'misgivings' over handling of complaints Another former principal of the prestigious private school, John Lewis, also gave evidence to the Commission on Thursday. Mr Lewis, who was headmaster between 1980 and 1994, told the Commission that after reviewing evidence of other witnesses he felt he mishandled complaints of abuse at the school during the 1980s. "In the light of those statements...I have been left with considerable misgivings about the way the matter was handled," Mr Lewis said. In 1989, Mr Lewis was told a boy had been molested at Highton House, where Philippe Trutmann was employed by Geelong Grammar as a live-in boarding house assistant. Trutmann has since been convicted of abusing 41 students at the school in the 1980s and 1990s. Mr Lewis previously told the commission he could not remember doing anything to follow that up, and he did not believe he should have referred it to police. Mr Lewis said he mistakenly believed staff at Highton House had appropriately dealt with the complaints. "I very much regret...that I did not more fully satisfy myself at the time ... that the matter had been properly handled," he said. The hearing continues.
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