SA pedophile former St Ignatius College teacher Stephen Hamra may have many more victims, survivor of his abuse claims

Pedophile former private school teacher Stephen Hamra may have “many, many” more victims in SA and across the country, a survivor of his abuse has claimed.

• ‘I’m not allowing him to have any power’

Convicted child sex offender and former St Ignatius College teacher Stephen Hamra could have “many, many” more victims among school, boarding house and sports circles both in SA and interstate, a survivor of his abuse has claimed.

The Advertiser can reveal SA Police have been informed of more than 50 boys and teenagers who were repeatedly in Hamra’s unsupervised care between 1977 and 1986 – the period for which he is serving a 12-year sentence for abusing two boys.

One of those boys – Greg Trembath, who has waived his right to anonymity – has taken detectives through St Ignatius’ yearbooks, identifying children he met through Hamra while suffering ongoing sexual assaults.

Mr Trembath said he feared those potential survivors were the tip of the iceberg, given a Supreme Court lawsuit’s allegations of further victims between 1992 and 2001 at both the school and West Adelaide Football Club, where Hamra volunteered.

“I have given to SA Police a list of 50 potential kids from the beginning of the time I was molested to the end,” he said.

“I met them through Hamra … he would bring them to our house or take them to his holiday house at Goolwa … there would be a group of us sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags.

“And we’re just talking about St Ignatius … how about at West Adelaide Football Club? Or when Hamra was transferred to Sydney and Melbourne to look after boarding students?

“How about the years he spent volunteering for tennis clubs? There were many, many kids.”

SA Police did not respond to requests for comment.

Child sex abuse survivor Greg Trembath.

Convicted sex offender Stephen John Hamra. Picture: Greg Higgs

Last month, The Advertiser revealed St Ignatius had reached an out-of-court settlement with a former student who alleged Hamra raped him on its grounds in 2001.

That student also alleged St Ignatius was told, in 1995, that Hamra was a predator but its then-principal, Bishop Greg O’Kelly, only counselled and did not fire the teacher.

Bishop O’Kelly and the school, he alleged, failed to tell West Adelaide Football Club – for whom Hamra billeted rural junior players – of its knowledge of the allegations.

Saint Ignatius’ College provided the Advertiser with a statement, saying it would provide SA Police with its “full support”.

“Saint Ignatius’ College acknowledges the harm caused by Stephen Hamra to victim survivors, their families and the wider community,” the statement read.

“The college has not recently been contacted by South Australian Police to assist with any enquiries concerning Stephen Hamra. If contacted, the college will provide SA Police with its full support.

“We urge anyone who may have been impacted by abuse to report their experience to SA Police. We will fully support anyone who comes forward with allegations and cooperate with authorities in the investigation of them.

“The college is resolute in its commitment to learn the lessons of the past and supporting those impacted to heal from the damage caused by historical abuse. Student welfare and caring for our community is our highest priority.”

Stephen John Hamra outside the District Court. Picture Greg Higgs.

When contacted by The Advertiser, Bishop O’Kelly declined to discuss the allegations.

“I will not be making comment on this matter,” he said.

Mr Trembath said he identified other potential victims to detectives when his case was first being investigated.

Those investigations led to Hamra’s convictions for persistent sexual exploitation of a child and maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

“I said to the police ‘if you get me the yearbooks, I can point out the people I remember’,” he said.

“I was presented with page after page of photocopied yearbooks – no names, just photos – because St Ignatius wouldn’t allow police to take the originals.

“There were 50 kids I pointed out … many, many kids … I believe they were all interviewed by police.

“I know one person who will never come forward, who will never be in a position where he can do so … he told me he was interviewed by police but said to them ‘sorry, I can’t do it’.”

“As someone who’s been through it, this journey is much, much tougher than people think it will be … to come forward is not only brave, it’s terrifying.”

Bishop Greg O'Kelly. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Lawyer and survivors advocate Andrew Carpenter. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

West Adelaide chief executive Conny Wilson said she had personally reached out to several players after the allegations were published, while the club had contacted others.

She said Bernie Conlon – club great, former VFL player and Past Players and Officials President – was working through records to locate everyone who had contact with Hamra.

“We take our player and staff welfare, both former and current, most seriously and as such we are reaching out to anyone that may have been affected during this time,” she said.

“If anyone reading this has experienced any form of perceived harassment or assault, we urge you to contact either the club or police, who will take up the matter.”

Lawyer and abuse survivors advocate Andrew Carpenter, who acted for the student who sued St Ignatius, commended the club for its compassion and empathy.

“It’s quite telling that a football club who was not implicated in the claim has taken greater steps to contacting potential victims of Mr Hamra than has the school,” he said.

He called for an independent, third-party inquiry into “the school’s knowledge of the offences and the resulting path of destruction that it has caused”.

“Hamra’s track record shows that this is not an isolated incident,” he said.

“There are no doubt countless individuals who are facing a lifetime of suffering due to such horrific and preventable assaults that happened under the eyes of the school.

“I hope that anyone who has had the misfortune of being abused by not only Hamra, but any monster, comes forward to get the justice they deserve.

“The greatest weapon of an offender is the silence of their survivors.”

——————

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available from the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service on 1800 RESPECT.

Survivors and their families can also access a free, confidential peer support service through the Survivors and Mates Support Network at samsn.org.au