Purity: An education in Opus Dei - ABC Four Corners program lashed by schools over Dominic Perrottet ‘smear campaign’

A group of Catholic schools, including Dominic Perrottet’s former school, have taken an extraordinary step amid claims an upcoming ABC program is simply a ‘smear campaign’ against them and the NSW Premier ahead of the NSW election.

ABC journalist Louise Milligan’s Four Corners investigation will air next week. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

A group of Catholic schools, including the high school attended by Premier Dominic Perrottet, has taken the extraordinary step of warning parents of a “targeted attack” by the ABC which they say is designed to smear them and the NSW Liberal Party as religious extremists.

The letter, signed by the principals of schools run by the Pared Foundation which includes Redfield College, which Mr Perrottet attended, said next Monday’s episode of the ABC’s Four Corners “seems to be an attack on the Catholic faith and an attempt at damaging the political career of one of Redfield’s former students in the short lead-up to the 2023 NSW State Election in March.”

Promotional material for the episode, entitled “Purity: An education in Opus Dei” and hosted by ABC journalist Louise Milligan, promises viewers an investigation into “the disturbing practices of the conservative Catholic organisation and its influence in the NSW Liberal Party.”

According to the letter to parents, the ABC put a series of detailed questions about their approach to a wide variety of issues to the schools on Tuesday, the same day a promotional trailer went up on the broadcaster’s website.

The ABC’s questions covered a wide range of subjects from abortion and homosexuality to whether people who commit suicide go to hell.

Promotional material for ABC's upcoming Four Corners investigation Purity: An education in Opus Dei.

The Daily Telegraph also understands a number of senior NSW Liberals associated with the schools were also approached by Four Corners.

The school group provided detailed responses, seen by this newspaper, affirming that they followed both the NSW Government curriculum and the teachings of the Vatican.

Premier Dominic Perrottet is a former Redfield College student. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“The Pared schools abide by all aspects of the NSW Government’s curriculum on sex education and health … Pared schools operate in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church that demand that we do not judge others, something that has been a constant theme of Pope Francis throughout his papacy,” the response reads in part.

One mother whose children had been at Pared schools since 2011 said the schools had a welcoming atmosphere.

Promotional material for ABC's upcoming Four Corners investigation Purity: An education in Opus Dei.

“They’re not homophobic, our girls were encouraged to get the HPV jab, there are people from all walks of life here, and parents are sick of our being targeted,” she said.

An ABC spokesman disputed the school’s claims, saying that they gave “extensive and detailed information” to Pared in recent weeks.

“There is nothing in the program that is an attack on the Catholic faith. It is purely about Opus Dei and its affiliated educational institutions,” they said.

“The timing of the story is not connected to the NSW election and in fact it is being broadcast as far out from the election as it could be.”