A Catholic boarding college in Bathurst is preparing to apologise to past students who were sexually abused.
Dozens of children were abused at St Stanislaus’ College, a New South Wales school that is this year marking its 150th year, making it one of Australia’s oldest boarding schools.
The school, run by the Catholic Vincentian Fathers, wants its public outreach to be in the “spirit of a reconciliatory gesture”, according to its headmaster, Anne Wenham.
“Our hope and intention is that it may offer one step in the healing process for all victims,” Wenham said. “We will endeavour to ensure that they and their families, as well as current and former members of this college community and the public, feel welcome to join us for this.”
A retired journalist and former St Stanislaus student, Terry Jones, said the apology had only come after media attention and his contact with the school.
Jones, who covered the investigation into St Stanislaus staff for the local paper the Western Advocate, said he had written to the school a week ago asking for a special response to recognise the victims as part of the 150th anniversary.
“The charges were laid in 2008, the commission has been going since 2013, it is now 2017,” he said. “How convenient to at last to respond after 27 years of abuses of students and nine years of court cases.”
The royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse heard evidence from Bathurst survivors in private sessions in June. But it decided against holding a public hearing in Bathurst.
The commission has received allegations linked to 4,000 institutions across Australia and said it was impossible to publicly examine them all. It also said it was concerned about prejudicing criminal proceedings in Bathurst.
“A significant consideration in deciding whether to hold a public hearing is whether there are ongoing criminal proceedings which could be prejudiced,” the commission said. “This is the case with respect to Bathurst and was a significant issue when deciding the royal commission’s public hearing schedule.”
The Vincentians’ Oceania provincial, Gregory Brett, has met survivors of abuse in the past two years.
“I have found their stories harrowing and my heart has gone out to them,” Brett said. “I have been deeply affected by their story and sense of profound loss in their lives.”
