Teen endured anguish in court after abuse

THE year was 1985 and a young Tasmanian schoolboy had taken on a battle he was destined to lose.

The 13-year-old had done something that child sex abuse victims so often can’t — he’d told his mum.

Brendan* was one of the first children to accuse popular teacher Darrel George Harington, a now convicted and notorious Hobart paedophile who offended for decades, of sexual abuse.

All the hallmarks of Harington’s now well-documented grooming were there in Brendan’s claims — the alleged victim was vulnerable, having just lost his dad and his sister, and the charismatic teacher took him under his wing.

Then came Harington’s characteristic tickling, play wrestling and the introduction of pornographic materials — before the science teacher took things further into sexual assault.

Within a few months, Brendan found himself in the middle of a Supreme Court of Tasmania trial that dragged on for two long weeks, suffering through four days in the witness box, including two-and-ahalf

SEX ABUSE VICTIM

days of cross-examination by Harington’s lawyer.

“The defence lawyer insinuated that I was a liar, an attention-seeker, a troublemaker, and then I’d made the story up,” Brendan told the Mercury.

“How did I stand a chance as a 13-year-old boy against this educated man and his defence lawyer?”

The jury returned verdict.

But if that wasn’t bad enough, large sections of Brendan’s community turned against him — furious he’d got “rid of this wonderful teacher”.

He’d be at the shop when he’d hear gossiping and slurs like “poofter” muttered in his presence. He was just 14.

Brendan’s story is now believed by the relevant authorities. He sometimes speaks to Tasmania Police new recruits to explain the experience of childhood sexual abuse.

He gave evidence at the royal commission into institutionalised child sex abuse. a notguilty

He’s helped provide information that has led to Harington’s other convictions. And Brendan is now taking a claim for compensation to Tasmania’s education department, alongside hundreds of others.

But the 1985 not guilty verdict still stands, and Brendan isn’t able to get criminal proceedings reopened.

Now 48, Brendan was present in court during 2015 when the paedophile confessed to molesting nine young boys as far back as the 1970s.

On February 18 he was in the public gallery when Harington was found guilty by a jury of molesting another two boys. And on one occasion, Brendan came face-to-face with his “monster” in court.

“He walked right up to me. His face just dropped, he realised who it was,” he said.

“It was just gold, just absolute gold. That was all I needed, to see the look on his face.”