Former Blackfriars Priory School principal Father Martin Wallace says he cannot comment on sex abuse allegations made in court

A Catholic priest and former SA private school principal says he cannot “reply” to assertions of sexual abuse because there is an ongoing court case.

Blackfriars Priory School in Prospect. Picture: Matt Loxton

The former principal of Blackfriars Priory School says he is “not in a position to make any comment” about assertions, made in court, that he sexually abused students during his tenure.

On Friday, Father Martin Wallace told The Advertiser he had been advised not to “reply” to a former student’s District Court application for the school’s records about the alleged abuse.

“I’m not in a position to make any comment given that the matter is before the court,” he said.

Father Wallace says he has been advised not to comment on the assertions made in court. Picture: Michael Milnes

“I thank you for your contact, but the advice I’ve received is I should not make any reply, and I’m not in a position to make a reply.

“I would like to, but I’m not in a position to.”

On Wednesday, a former Blackfriars student secured court orders requiring the school disclose any records of “abuse or alleged abuse by Father Wallace” within 14 days.

Among the unproven allegations in his court papers, he asserted Father Wallace sexually abused him in 2002, and that the incident was never reported to SA Police.

The student further asserted another teacher “walked into the changerooms and saw what was happening”, then said words to the effect of “get the f--k out of here”.

He further asserted that, this year, a private investigator, Diocese staff and the school’s current principal approached him to discuss the incident and a potential cash settlement.

He also asserted the school has compiled “almost 100 documents” about the sexual abuse “of multiple students” during a “22-year cover-up”.

In court on Wednesday, counsel for the school said it would co-operate with the former student but “obviously disagreed” with some of the assertions made.

They further said the “reference to 100 cases is simply misleading”.

Blackfriars, meanwhile, issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by the allegations”, and had convened an independent investigation into them.

That investigation, it said, is scheduled to be completed by September after which its findings “will be provided to relevant authorities”.

On Friday, the teacher whom the ex-student asserts witnessed the incident with Father Wallace declined to speak about the court case.

“I’ve got nothing to say,” he told The Advertiser.

On Friday, an SA Police spokeswoman said the assertions made by the ex-student were not under investigation.

“The matter was reported to police by the school in 2022,” she said.

“Police have spoken to the alleged victim who didn’t want to disclose any information to police.

“The matter has since been finalised as no offences were revealed”.

However the ex-student’s solicitor, Andrew Carpenter, said his client disputed SA Police’s statement.

“I can confirm my client has never spoken with police regarding the sexual abuse he sustained whilst he was a student at Blackfriars,” he said.

“In fact, the school never asked him about the abuse or advised his parents despite such abuse being witnessed by a teacher.”