Highlands Christian College investigated over historical child sexual abuse
The law firm investigating historical child sexual abuse at a prominent Christian College in Queensland said it was blown away by the number of people who came forward after it made a public appeal for information.
Toowoomba
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The lawyers investigating Highlands Christian College over alleged historical child sexual abuse have been inundated with tip-offs after they went public with a call for information.
Maurice Blackburn lawyers are representing a man who alleges he was sexually abused by a member of the religious organisation associated with the school in the late 1990s, when it was under the name Christian Outreach College.
He alleges he was taken from the kindergarten by his alleged attacker and abused at another part of the campus.
The college’s legal team has said the school would defend the man’s civil action and stood by the school’s safety record.
They denied any abuse had occurred.
“The protection and safety of children and students is Highlands Christian College’s paramount concern,” Ashley Gullo, of Brandon and Gullo Personal Injury Lawyers, said.
Maurice Blackburn state team leader Heather Kerley said more than 25 people contacted the firm after it called for information about two weeks ago.
“It is very heartwarming for our client,” she said.
“But it is devastating to hear there has been a really problematic culture at the school that has been detrimental to other people over a long period of time.”
Ms Kerley said the information received by Maurice Blackburn would help corroborate their client’s allegations.
“We did not expect this degree of a response,” she said.
“Sometimes we get no response, other times we get inundated. This time we got inundated.
“We have people from England and the US contact us. These people, despite being far from their home, have continued to be impacted.
“We are always very interested in speaking with people who know about sexual or physical abuse at the school and we call on those people to contact us, regardless of the time period of what they witnessed.”
When the allegations first surfaced, they were strenuously denied by the school through its legal team at Brandon and Gullo Personal Injury Lawyers.
“Other than the allegation made by the claimant himself in his claim form, we hold no proof of the historical allegation made by the claimant,” Ashley Gullo said.
Mr Gullo added that the school would defend the civil action and stood by the school’s safety record.
“The protection and safety of children and students is Highlands Christian College’s paramount concern,” he said.
“Its reputation in this regard is notable.
“It is a safe school for children and families.
“We note no claim has been made against the alleged perpetrator. Only against the school.”
The school referred the matter to the detectives at the Toowoomba Child Protection Investigation Unit but there have been no criminal charges.
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