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Child sex abuse inquiry: Ex-headmaster admits failing to question staff, pupils over paedophilia claims
By Rosemary Bolger and Linda Hunt
November 20, 2014
A former headmaster of a prestigious Hobart boys’ school has admitted he failed to interview former students and teachers over paedophilia claims against another former headmaster.
John Bednall, who was headmaster at Hutchins School in the 1990s, was giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
In 1993, a former student, known as AOA, wrote to Dr Bednall seeking an apology from the school for the abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of former headmaster David Lawrence in the 1960s.
Dr Bednall conducted a five-week investigation into AOA’s allegations and found there was no supporting evidence that he was abused.
When asked at the inquiry whether he had interviewed any staff members or anyone from the Hutchins School Board, Dr Bednall replied: “No”.
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