Sex Abuse Inquiry: Geelong Grammar Principal Stephen Meek Apologises to Sexual Abuse Victims

By Henrietta Cook
The Age
September 11, 2015

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/sex-abuse-inquiry-they-were-more-interested-in-protecting-their-reputation-says-geelong-grammar-abuse-victim-20150911-gjkbsg.html

[with video]

Geelong Grammar failed its students who suffered "traumatic and terrible" sexual abuse at the hands of teachers, its headmaster says.

Stephen Meek, who became headmaster in 2004, told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that he was "unreservedly" sorry and that the school had failed its duty of care.

Geelong Grammar principal Stephen Meek says he was told about a sexual assault allegation at the school on his first day in the job Photo: Eddie Jim

"As students they had every right to attend a school where they were looked after and where their safety and well-being were assured. This did not happen, the school failed in its duty of care, and I am sorry."

The Geelong Grammar community has been rocked by shocking accounts of child sexual abuse that took place on all its campuses from the late 1950s until 2007. The public hearing, which has run for two weeks, has focused on the school's response to five teachers who have all been convicted of child sexual abuse.

Mr Meek said he was contacted about a sexual assault allegation on his first day in the job.

The school's response to sexual abuse allegations had been inappropriate and inadequate, he said on Friday.

"We did not listen enough to the child or have a robust enough system to investigate the staff. As a result we failed those students who were in our care and who became victims of sexual abuse."

He said the school now had "robust" child protection policies and always listened to concerns raised by students.

He said a memorial at the school acknowledging abuse survivors was "a good idea", and one he was likely to recommend to school council.

BLW, a former staff member at Geelong Grammar, said he told former Geelong Grammar principal Nicholas Sampson in February 2004 that his brother BLF was repeatedly sexually assaulted by long-time teacher Jonathan Harvey when he was a student at the school.

He testified that Nicholas Sampson - who is the principal of Sydney's exclusive Cranbrook School - said Harvey was "an evil man" who had abused many students. Mr Sampson denied he said that.

BLW said he was concerned that Harvey was allowed to continue working at the school and tutoring students throughout 2004, despite the serious allegations.

Harvey pleaded guilty to abusing the victim between 1976 and 1978 and was jailed in 2007 for 10 months.

Another victim, BIR, gave a moving testimony at the inquiry, recounting how, years after leaving, he returned to the school's Toorak junior campus, Glamorgan, to notify staff that he had been sexually abused by a teacher when he was nine.

"They were more interested in protecting their reputation and their finances than they were in my welfare," he said.

The school told him at a 1997 meeting that they held no responsibility for the sexual assault because it did not occur on school grounds.

"I was certain that they were concerned only with defending their reputation and understood that they had no intention of acting compassionately towards me."

The sexual abuse occurred in 1980 during a school activity, but BIR did not tell anyone about it until he was 26.

The victim received $32,000 in compensation but was asked to sign a confidentiality clause, which prevented him from speaking about his experience.

"It has prevented me from discussing an event that has had profoundly negative repercussions on my health and wellbeing and impacted greatly on my family."

He said the small financial settlement was a "token of how little the school cared and how heartless they were in dealing with me".

A former Geelong Grammar parent also gave evidence, and said her son was expelled from the Highton campus in 1989 after he broke an agreement with the school not to talk about being sexually assaulted. He told his mother that he woke in the night to discover a man fondling his genitals.

It later emerged that her son, BIW, was molested by boarding house assistant Philippe Trutmann, who was convicted of sexually abusing 41 Geelong Grammar students.

"A child was expelled from a school because he dared to open his mouth," she said. The mother said she removed all items from her house that would remind her son of Geelong Grammar.

"He couldn't fathom what he had done wrong, why he was being expelled."

The hearing continues.