Former Mazenod teacher Catherine Young nee Waters pleads guilty to sexual penetration of child
A former Mazenod College Mulgrave teacher targeted underage male students for sex, including in the school sick bay.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A depraved former Mazenod College teacher who sexually violated two underage male students and taught a victim how to perform sexual acts has avoided an immediate jail term.
Catherine Young, 50, was sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday to a three-year suspended jail term after pleading guilty to multiple sexual penetration of a child under 16 charges.
Young violated her victims while she taught at Mazenod’s Mulgrave campus under the name Catherine Waters in the mid to late 1990s.
The court heard Young taught Japanese, coached the junior volleyball team and supervised at school camps among other duties during her tenure.
Young violated the two male students at the school, at her Templestowe home, in the Monash University carpark and at a victim’s home.
The fiend former teacher, who left Mazenod in 1998, drove a victim to her Templestowe home where they engaged in sexual acts.
The court was told Young got upset after hearing INXS frontman Michael Hutchence had died before she changed into black lacy underwear.
Young then sexually assaulted the victim.
After the lewd offending Young cuddled her victim and asked if he was “OK”.
The victim later told a friend he had sex with Young.
Young met a victim in a Monash University carpark and a Mazenod changeroom.
Young also visited a victim at his home during her lunch break where she sexually violated him.
The victim told Young to run out the back door after a family member unexpectedly returned home early.
Young later taught the victim how to place a condom on before having sex.
Young drove a victim to the Police Paddocks carpark but they were left the area after a police car drove pass.
Young had sex with a victim in the Mazenod sick bay during a school sleepover for a week-long sports event.
The court heard the victim told his friends he was having sex with Young so they covered for him when he left his bed to sleep in the sick bay.
The victim hid under Young’s bed when a teacher knocked on the sick bay door.
Young asked the student if he was “OK” then sexually violated him after the teacher left, the court heard.
When a teacher knocked on the door and spoke to Young, the victim hid under the bed. When the other teacher left, Young asked if the victim was OK then continued the sexual violation.
Young later told a victim not to call her again because she was leaving Mazenod and never wanted to see him again.
Young’s offending was referred to police in February 2018.
A victim told the court, via a statement, the “reality” of Young’s offending “ruined my life”.
“I almost glorified it, I thought I was pretty good, I thought I was pretty special …,” the victim said.
“It became clear to me what happened to me was no longer jovial … it became quite clear it was a lot more serious that I’ve recognised …
“It’s been a huge struggle, every day in my life is a huge struggle … at times I feel I’m not worth anything …
“You left and pretended like nothing happened … I’m still not OK now.”
Judge Martine Marich said the victim’s statement was “very moving and articulate” and an “extraordinary piece of writing”.
The defence submitted Young was a “naive and inexperienced” teacher at an all-male school.
Young also claimed she had a “lack of support by school administration in relation to professional boundaries” and “no formal training on how to deal with teenage males or specific issues”.
“Besides that there is no discussion and no grappling with her sexual attraction to 15 year olds,” Judge Marich said.
The court heard Young, who relocated to Brisbane suburb Manly, had been a stay-at-home mum to three children but returned to the workforce where she works as a manager.
The defence submitted Young was an exceptional student at high school and university and her CV “demonstrates a very good work history”.
“Everything since this offence has been conventional, has been ordinary, there has been no further offending …,” the defence submitted
Young’s immediate jail term was wholly suspended for two years and she was declared a serious sexual offender.
