Katoomba High School community fury at silence on student’s sexual assault allegations

Revelations a high school student was charged with eight counts of sexual assault has sparked outrage among parents who were previously unaware of the allegations.

Parents at a Blue Mountains high school are outraged by allegations a student raped one of his peers at a party, ­saying the school community should have been notified about the incident.

After the alleged sexual assault in 2019, the then Katoomba High School student was charged with eight charges of sexual assault without consent, one count of intentionally choking and another of common assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.

An ongoing Education Department investigation was launched 15 months ago after the parents of the alleged ­victim complained the school failed to have the boy spoken to by police for alleged harassment before the alleged rape.

Until the details were revealed by the Sunday Telegraph, some parents had been in the dark about the allegations and the internal investigation. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said parents and students should have been made aware, as it could have assisted the police in their investigation.

“It should be our right to know about this, so if anyone else felt their children were, or are, unsafe they know where to go and who they can talk to,” she said.

The flyer (left) calling to make Katoomba High School ‘a rape-free’ school.

“I really think it’s appalling that parents haven’t been told because we need to know our children’s welfare is the priority,” the parent said.

Another said she believed the school should have immediately introduced consent discussions with students as soon as they were made aware of the charges against the teen and the police investigation.

“The school should have been on the front foot and integrating consent classes or at least giving parents a guide on how to talk to their kids about something as serious as this,” she said.

Consent education is being introduced to all schools in Australia in 2023, but the ­parent said it should already be happening in any school with links to sexual assault incidents or allegations.

“2023 is a bit late when this allegedly happened in 2019,” she said.

“The school knew and the silence is disappointing.”

When asked about the investigations, the NSW Department of Education said it was “not appropriate” to comment.

It is not the first time the school has been engulfed in a scandal, with a teacher jailed after having sex with a female student in 2019.