Victim confronts pedophile ex-Catholic school teacher Alun Rowe

After years of abuse and manipulation, a young woman has confronted the ex-Catholic school teacher who destroyed her life.

A former Catholic school teacher “created a perfect hell inside the head” of the girl he abused, a court has heard - one that, she says, he would “never be strong enough to survive”.

In the District Court on Monday, Alun Rowe listened by video link as his victim, who cannot be named, confronted him from the bar table.

In her victim impact statement, she said Rowe’s long-term manipulation of her anxiety, loneliness and affection had forever altered her life and stolen her future goals.

“I believed I was in love, that I had a very good friend who didn’t want to leave me, who was excited to see me every day, who genuinely cared about me,” she said.

“But there were times where the reality of my situation would sink in, and I felt disgusted.

“Alun, how could you do this to me and feel I was stupid enough to never tell anyone? How dare you blame me and threaten to kill yourself when I did speak out?

“You have created a perfect hell inside my head, and you would never be strong enough to survive inside it.”

Alun Rowe, a former catholic school teacher, leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: Newswire / Brenton Edwards

Rowe, 57, of Woodcroft, pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child – an offence now known as sexual abuse of a child.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing exploitation material.

Rowe abused his victim, who was under the age of 18, between 2019 and 2020 and was caught in possession of the exploitation material in 2023, following his arrest.

Rowe now faces a maximum life sentence.

On Wednesday, the court heard Rowe’s victim was a teenager at the time of the offending, and that she disclosed it to authorities several years after it occurred.

Rowe’s victim said he had taken advantage of the shy, lonely and anxious girl she had been to “build a wall” between her and “those who loved me”, isolating and abusing her.

She said she no longer felt safe to pursue her dream career in a male-dominated field, as she was “terrified” of men, particularly older ones who may manipulate her.

“My life is now constant fear and distrust... I do not want to be here at all if all that awaits me is more manipulation, lies and mistrust,” she said.

The woman said she struggled with guilt over the impact upon both her family and Rowe’s, as well as “feeling horrible” he has been incarcerated.

“I’ve tried running from all the problems and the demons at my back, but they only get worse,” she said.

Counsel for Rowe said he had written a letter of apology to his victim but would not read it aloud, so she could choose if she wished to receive it.

Judge Geraldine Davison will sentence Rowe at a later date.