BISHOP William Morris of Toowoomba has sacked a school principal and two Catholic Education officers over the handling of child sexual abuse allegations against a teacher.
This decision, announced by Bishop Morris in a statement on December 10, related to the case of a teacher facing 46 charges of offences against children at a primary school in Toowoomba diocese.
The teacher is expected to plead guilty to charges in the Toowoomba District Court early next year.
Bishop Morris made his statement following the conclusion of a court case involving the principal.
The principal was found not guilty in Toowoomba Magistrate’s Court on December 1 on a charge of failing to report a student’s complaint of sexual assault by a teacher.
Bishop Morris said he based his decision to dismiss the principal and two senior education officers from the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office on a review of all available documentation and the interviewing of staff, and the summary hearing of the prosecution of the principal in Toowoomba Magistrate’s Court on November 16.
“Based on the material available to me, the staff involved, including staff from the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office, exercised very poor judgement and made a number of significant errors in process,” he said in his statement.
“However, I do not believe they acted to wilfully or deliberately protect the alleged perpetrator.
“My internal investigation concluded that in responding to the information in September 2007 the staff acted in good faith. They did not seek to cover up or resile from dealing with the information.
“However, it remains my view that the staff involved made serious and unacceptable errors of judgement.
“They failed to respond appropriately to the information received – from documenting the concerns to actioning and responding to them.”
Bishop Morris said that, during the Nov-ember 16 hearing before Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist, the principal admitted the information provided to him by a parent and child at his school gave rise to a reasonable suspicion of alleged sexual abuse.
The bishop said the principal also admitted during that hearing that he suspected sexual abuse following receipt of the information.
“The principal’s admission during the hearing that he suspected sexual abuse came as a great shock to me and one which has caused me considerable distress and anguish,” Bishop Morris said.
“Whilst the principal reported the information to the senior education officers, I do not consider, in light of his suspicion of sexual abuse, that he fulfilled his duty.”
Bishop Morris said he was satisfied the two senior education officers were aware of information provided by the principal, either orally or through email correspondence, regarding alleged conduct by the teacher which should have given rise to a reasonable suspicion of sexual abuse and should have been immediately reported to the police and to the assistant director or director of the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office.
The senior education officers failed to recognise the information received should have triggered statutory and diocesan mandatory police reporting requirements, he said.
Bishop Morris said the allegations of sexual abuse of children by the former teacher were shocking and tragic.
“As leader of the diocese, I … offer a sincere apology for any abuse suffered by children while under the care of the diocese,” he said.
“These events strike at the heart of our Church’s mission and values. Unfortunately, I cannot reverse what has happened. However, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure events such as these never happen again.”
