Up to seven more ex-Blackfriars Priory College students may make sex abuse claims

Blackfriars says former students alleging sexual abuse are “litigating by media”, as up to seven more consider making claims.

A top private school has told a court it may no longer co-operate with former students alleging sexual abuse by teachers, accusing them of “litigating by media”.

The District Court has also heard a fourth former Blackfriars Priory College student is preparing to lodge a legal claim against the school, and the number of claimants overall is “likely to be more than 10”.

On Wednesday, Mark Hoffmann KC, for Blackfriars, asked the ongoing dispute be removed from the pre-trial District Court master’s list and supervised instead by a judge.

When reminded the school had previously agreed, by consent, to hand over its files about allegations of abuse, he replied: “What the school may have said and what’s the position now are two different things.”

“There has been a lot of litigation through the media to date, and real issues emerging that are better dealt with through a judge,” he said.

“What’s going on is of grave concern to us and we will deal with that in venues outside the courtroom.

“This (case) is not a walk-up for lawyers to make statements and litigate through the media, which is what has been happening.”

Former Blackfriars Primary School principal and Catholic priest Father Martin Wallace in October 2000. Picture: File

In each of their separate lawsuits, the men assert Blackfriars is in possession of documentation about past staff members’ alleged abuse of students.

The first man claims he was assaulted by former principal and Catholic priest, Father Martin Wallace, who has declined to comment on the allegations.

He further claims the school compiled “almost 100 documents” about the alleged sexual abuse “of multiple students” during a “22-year cover-up”.

The second man claims he was assaulted by Joseph William Weygood, and that Father Wallace punished him for reporting it, saying “don’t you ever say no to a teacher again”.

On Wednesday, Andrew Carpenter, for the former students, said transferring the case to a judge now was “putting the cart before the horse”.

He said his clients had only sought access to documents in order to determine whether or not they would pursue lawsuits.

Mr Carpenter said one of the documents disclosed so far referred to a report that made further allegations against Mr Weygood – but the school had not provided it.

He said that, if full disclosure was not made, he would seek to have the schools current principal “cross-examined under oath” about its internal inquiries into allegations of abuse.

Mr Carpenter said there were “more” than four people considering legal action, and “likely more than 10” in total.

The matter has been adjourned to next week, pending advice from Chief Judge Michael Evans as to how it should proceed.