Damien Rothstein: Sexual assault survivor urges people to ‘speak out’ after $1.1m payout

A former Gippsland Grammar School student received only 9 per cent of the payout his classmate was given after they were horrifically sexually abused by their teacher.

A former Gippsland Grammar School student sexually abused eight times by his teacher in the 1990s has been awarded $1.1 million in compensation.

But Damien Rothstein says the figure pales in comparison to what he was initially offered — $40,000 — and is a far cry from what other victims have been given.

Brett Menke, who was only 15 at the time he was abused by biology teacher and boarding headmaster Max Hickey, was paid $100,000 in compensation — 9.1 per cent of his classmate’s payout.

The students were sexually abused in the boarding house in 1990 by Mr Hickey who died in 2010.

The same teacher would later expel Mr Rothstein because he complained his behaviour was “deteriorating”.

“We could never hold him accountable, dying was the easy way out,” Mr Rothstein said.

The abuse was so horrific, at 16 Mr Rothstein was forced to remove his outdoor door handle and stack bunk beds against his door just to stop his attacker from coming in.

“The weekends were the hardest because most of the boys went home but I stayed at the school,” Mr Rothstein said.

“I ended up just roaming the streets of Sale to not be found.”

As a result, Mr Rothstein was labelled a “rebel” because he would skip class or turn up tired and unengaged.

Eventually, the school expelled him after Mr Hickey complained about his deteriorating behaviour.

Thirty years on, Mr Rothstein still remembers the smell of Hickey from when he would come into his room at night.

“He smelled like cigars and Bourbon,” he said.

Mr Rothstein was among several students who were being groomed and abused by Hickey.

It was never spoken about but there was “group awareness” what was happening behind closed doors.

Mr Hickey’s other survivors received only a fraction of Mr Rothstein’s compensation; his is believed to be the largest amount paid to a victim of historical sexual abuse from Gippsland.

Mr Menke said he wants to hold the school accountable to ensure this behaviour doesn’t continue to happen.

Today, he says the torture he endured continues to have consequences in his life that changed forever from the assaults.

“I’d go out and drink and try to be the life of the party just to be happy,” Mr Menke said.

“I questioned my sexuality and I had to re-evaluate who I was and what I stand for.”

It wasn’t until his parents passed away in the MH-17 flight in 2014 when he decided to confront the impacts caused from the abuse over two decades earlier.

“I had this anger in me that came out of nowhere and I thought there was nothing to hide or feel shame about anymore,” Mr Menke said.

Mr Rothstein also says he continues to suffer as a result of the abuse.

He said his relationship broke down; he became disassociated and made poor financial decisions.

But now, three decades after he was sexually abused, Mr Rothstein is confronting the unfathomable trauma he suffered at the hands of someone he thought he could trust.

And he is encouraging others to do the same.

“I want to encourage others that it’s safe to speak up, that they can achieve catharsis by releasing their emotions,” he said.

“If I can reach one or two people to recognise their own story and do something, like talk to their partner or a friend, it’s worth me speaking out.”