Matthew Corey Schulz: Victim ‘Lenore’ watches court case end due to his death, says she wanted it to go to trial

The woman who accused an ex-Trinity College teacher of ongoing abuse has attended court to watch the case’s conclusion, now that he has died.

 

Sex abuse charges laid against an ex-Trinity College teacher, who has since died, have been formally dropped in court – a decision his victim has labelled “bittersweet”.

On Thursday, the woman known as “Lenore” watched from the Adelaide Magistrates Court public gallery as the case against Matthew Corey Schulz was called on.

An SA Police prosecutor told Magistrate Justin Wickens that Schulz “is deceased” and, as a result, “we will not be pursuing the charges”.

That brought the case to an end – outside court, Lenore said she “really didn’t know how to feel” as a result.

“It’s bittersweet because I take no pleasure in his death and I wanted to finalise this case the way it should have been done,” she said.

“It’s disappointing, because the one thing I wanted to do was present my victim impact statement in front of him.

“He couldn’t have given a response to it that would have soothed that part of me but, for me, it was a matter of just saying what I wanted to and giving myself the justification I deserve.

“What I have to work out, now, is finding a way to move forward when this process has been keeping me in the same emotional place.”

Matthew Corey Schulz wearing a Covid mask outside the Mount Barker Magistrates Court after losing a bid to keep his identity secret. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Schulz, 45, of Cockatoo Valley, was arrested in June and charged with one count of being an adult who sexually abused a child.

He was further charged with two counts of engaging in sexual intercourse with a person without consent.

The charges all related to Lenore whom, prosecutors alleged, Schulz had abused between 2011 and 2012 at a location in the northern suburbs.

When the abuse began, Lenore was 15 and Schulz was 32.

After losing a bid to keep his identity secret, Schulz – who boasted of being friends with legendary US rocker Mike Patton – died in August.

Lenore then spoke publicly for the first time, revealing how Schulz had coercively controlled her and manipulated her emotions to facilitate the abuse.

A social media message from Schulz to his victim, known as “Lenore”, about the abuse he perpetrated. Picture: Supplied

Outside court, Lenore encouraged all survivors of sexual abuse to consider reporting their cases to police.

“If you decide you can’t, that’s okay – what you are feeling is justified,” she said.

“But it is a lot easier now (to report) than it used to be … you are provided with a lot of support in coming forward, and people will stand by you.

“If you decide to report, that’s brilliant because it means another person is off the streets.”

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.