AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
March 6, 2015
Rachel Browne
Social Affairs Reporter
Former Knox Grammar School headmaster Ian Paterson recanted previous testimony given to a royal commission in which he admitted to misleading a police officer and hindering her investigation into child abuse allegations involving six teachers at the school.
In a dramatic about-face, Dr Paterson told the commission he did not mislead an officer from the Child Protection Enforcement Agency who spoke to him about sex abuse claims in 1996.
Under questioning from his own lawyer, Jim Harrowell, the former headmaster agreed that Inspector Beth Cullen was examining general allegations rather than specific claims.
“So you did not deliberately seek to mislead Inspector Cullen?” Mr Harrowell asked.
“Absolutely not,” Dr Paterson replied.
He also denied in Friday’s evidence that he knew the extent of sexual abuse at the school, which he ran from from 1969 to 1998.
He agreed he had been made aware of concerns about teachers Barrie Stewart and Damien Vance and addressed them. He also said he acted on his suspicion that teacher Christopher Fotis was the so-called balaclava man who sexually assaulted a year 8 boy in his bed by removing Fotis from the boarding house.
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