Family slams school response after daughter allegedly touched by teacher

The mother of a teenage girl has blasted a Brisbane school for “failing” their duty of care after her daughter was allegedly touched inappropriately by her teacher.

A 38-year-old man has been charged with assault as a result of the allegations

The mother of a teenage girl has blasted a Brisbane school for “failing” their duty of care after her daughter was allegedly touched inappropriately by her teacher.

A 38-year-old old teacher from Hymba Yumba Independent School (HYIS) at Springfield was charged with common assault on Friday, August 2.

The mother of the girl who cannot be identified to protect the child's identity said after making a complaint to the school on March 29, she did not receive a receipt of acknowledgment until April 2, where the school advised her they were investigating the incident.

“On April 10 I did a police report because I felt like the mandatory reporting did not take place and I just felt like the response that I got was negligent,” she said.

She claims the school did not report the incident immediately to police and on May 9 was invited to a meeting to meet with the schools independent investigator.

“It was the first time they (police) had heard of it,” she said.

“There shouldn’t have been an independent investigator to begin with and should have been handed over to QPS to investigate as far as I was concerned.”

More than two months after her initial complaint, she was told there was not enough evidence to say the teacher had done anything wrong.

But the teacher was stood down with full pay.

“I told them I was keeping my daughter home due to the uncertainty of her safety,” she said.

“I’ve had to keep my boys home to not only ensure that they’re not victimised but to ensure they’re not constantly interrogated.”

According to the school’s website it has more than 280 students and 40 staff within the school community.

Queensland Police have confirmed the alleged assault occurred in March, resulting in the 38-year-old man being charged.

“Detectives from the Ipswich Child Protection and Investigation Unit on Friday, August 2 charged a man in relation to an assault of a child at Springfield earlier this year.

“It will be alleged that in March, the 38-year-old Deebing Heights man assaulted the teenage girl at a Springfield Parkway address. Investigations commenced after a report was made to police that same month,” a spokesperson said.

He is due to appear before Ipswich Magistrates Court on August 28.

The mother said the “level of negligence and failure” within the school could put more Jarjum – the Aboriginal word for child – at risk.

“There was multiple times when they could have supported and then been accountable and did the right thing, but they are just sitting firm that they didn’t do anything wrong,” she said.

“Now, I feel like it’s just trauma that our system is going to have to deal with, these generations of institutional trauma when they try to voice or just, sometimes find the strength to disclose, they just get pushed aside.”

“And had they done their mandatory reporting, he could have been charged, I mean, my daughter could have still been at the school,” she said.

HYIS in a statement to The Courier Mail said “the original complaint of inappropriate touching was made at 2.25am on Good Friday when the school was in recess. The complaint was responded to immediately on the return of school staff on April 2.

“The teacher was stood down on full pay pending an independent investigation on April 3,” the statement read.

“The matter was referred to the Queensland College of Teachers, but the lack of information did not and still does not meet the assessment that there was risk of harm.”

The statement said they notified by police of the charges against a staff member.

“The staff member has been told to appear in court later this month. The staff member has been on leave from the school and will not return to school while the court process is underway,” the school said.

“The school has offered any assistance to police. As this matter is before the courts, the school is not allowed to make any comments in relation to the case.”