Sexual abuse claims levelled at Brisbane private school

A dozen Brisbane Grammar students have lodged compensation claims for suspected abuse at the hands of a sadistic serial paedophile.

A dozen former students of one of Brisbane’s most prestigious private schools have lodged historical sexual abuse compensation claims in the past year.

Brisbane Grammar School joined the National Redress Scheme, created in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, last April.

Since then there have been 12 applications for redress with regard to historical sexual abuse claims from former Brisbane Grammar students, according to the school’s annual report released last week.

Brisbane Grammar was named in 2019 as one of dozens of institutions named during the Royal Commission who had yet to sign up to the scheme.

A statement from the school said it was possible there may be “future claims from other former students in relation to historical sexual abuse”.

Brisbane Grammar School is facing a raft of historical sexual abuse compensation claims.

“Where requested, the chair of the board and the Headmaster or Deputy Headmaster have met with the applicant to provide a direct personal response on behalf of the school,” the statement read.

“The school will also continue to operate its own redress scheme so that those who experienced abuse in the past will have two separate paths available to pursue redress.”

The claims were understood to be related to sadistic serial paedophile Kevin Lynch, who worked at Brisbane Grammar as a counsellor in the 1970s and 1980s.

The horrific crimes of Lynch were laid bare during the Royal Commission, with Brisbane Grammar settling claims with more than 130 former students over the past two decades and paying out more than $2.6 million in the past four years alone.

Kevin John Lynch committed suicide in 1997 a day after being charged by police over sexual abuse claims.

Lynch, who went on to work as a counsellor and continue his crimes at St Paul’s School, committed suicide in 1997 a day after being charged by police.

One former Brisbane Grammar student who was sexually abused by Lynch has been fighting in court for several years to overturn a $47,000 settlement reached with the school.

Though the former student lost his most recent bid in the Court of Appeal last September, the annual report revealed he had filed an application for leave to appeal to the High Court, with a response since filed on behalf of the school.

A decision by the High Court on that matter was yet to be delivered.