De La Salle College Revesby sued over alleged child sexual abuse of grade 6 and 7 students

By James Taylor
Daily Telegraph
February 06, 2017

https://goo.gl/tDte4q

De La Salle College in Revesby is facing multiple lawsuits over child sexual abuse allegations.

Executive director of Sydney Catholic Schools Dan White said he could not comment on the sexual abuse allegations against De La Salle College in Revesby. Photo by Nikki Short

Three cases have been filed against the school over the alleged abuse of Grade 6 and 7 students in the 1970s and 80s.

However the teacher allegedly responsible, Brother Anselm Hallam, died in the early 1990s aged 92, before his charges could be heard in court.

De La Salle also faces lawsuits for alleged child sexual abuse at its Marrickville college.

Sydney Catholic Schools executive director Dr Dan White said he wasn’t in a position to comment “as it is an historical matter” and responsibility for the school was entrusted to the De La Salle Brothers at that time.

However he condemned the actions of anyone who abused children.

“Our care and compassion for the victims of abuse is paramount and enduring,” Dr White said.

The lawsuits forms part of the 1500 cases lawyer Jason Parkinson, from Porters Lawyers, has against independent schools in NSW.

Some others are Trinity Grammar, Knox Grammar, St Patrick’s at Goulburn and Newington College.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse laid bare the truth of the abuse that schools tried to hide to protect reputations.

About 85 per cent of the victims were boys at the time.

Mr Parkinson encouraged anyone with information about abuse at the school to come forward in order to help victims seek justice.