Making right the wrongs of the past: Redress for victims of historical sexual abuse at St Paul’s School.
Protection for children and young people is of paramount importance and Anglican Schools are required to follow the Diocesan policy.
During the 1980s and 1990s there were students at St Paul’s School who were sexually abused by one or more of three perpetrators, a music teacher, a school counsellor and a student.
The conduct of the Diocese and the School during the time this abuse was perpetrated and in subsequently responding to the survivors was analysed in 2015 during Case Study 34 at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. A public apology was offered at that hearing.
If you were a victim of abuse while you attended St Paul’s School we wish to extend a personal apology to you. The lack of proper systems, policies and practices in the 1980s and 1990s let you and other young people down terribly. People who should have been trustworthy, betrayed and abused vulnerable young people. The crimes should never had have occurred, and certainly should never been allowed to continue for as long as they did.
We are deeply sorry.
The culture of St Paul’s School has changed. It is a vastly different school to what it was. It is a place that values the voice of the students; their pastoral care, wellbeing and holistic development is central to everything we do. We are committed to ensuring that what happened in the past never occurs again.
Redress regarding historical sexual abuse is managed by a specialist team within the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane. Contact with this team can be made directly by emailing [email protected]. Further information is also available online at https://anglicanchurchsq.org.au/safeguarding/
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