School pays out abused
Grammar settles paedophile case
FOUR former Geelong Grammar students sexually abused by paedophile teacher John Buckley will receive compensation from the school.
Buckley, 75, a teacher and housemaster in the 1980s, was convicted last year of molesting six boys between the ages 10 and 13 between 1980 and 1983 while working in Toorak at Geelong Grammar’s junior school, Glamorgan.
The victims’ representative Dimi Ioannou, of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said the settlements were justified for what was a “gross betrayal of trust”.
“These victims have been through an incredibly difficult time over the past few years in their fight for compensation over abuse that has had a major impact on every one of their lives,” Ms Ioannou said.
“They were subjected to shocking abuse at the hands of John Buckley, a predator who took advantage of them when they were young, vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.”
Ms Ioannou said the settlements meant the victims would not have to give evidence at trial.
A Geelong Grammar spokesman said the school was not in the position to comment.
Buckley was sentenced to 7½ years’ jail — with a minimum of four years and nine months — after pleading guilty to 13 charges, including eight of varied indecent assault, three of gross indecency and a single count of sexual penetration of a person aged between 10 and 16.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, relating to a discovery of 96 photographs of the boys at his holiday home.
Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal dismissed Buckley’s application to shorten his sentence.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Abuse is still in progress, with registrations for private sessions of those affected closing tomorrow.
Ms Ioannou said more than 5500 private sessions had already been held regarding the royal commission and about 1500 people remained on the waiting list.
“September also marks one year since the royal commission handed down its recommendations on redress and civil litigation for survivors, including the establishment of a single national redress scheme,” Ms Ioannou said.
“Yet in that time little progress has been made for such a scheme, and we again call on the Federal Government to act on this for survivors.”