Tim Richardson: paedophile teacher victims to sue Education Department
Victims of convicted Dandenong High paedophile teacher Tim Richardson have launched a bid to sue, with lawyers preparing a claim that could leave the Education Department with a potential multimillion-dollar payout bill.
South East
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Victims of convicted paedophile teacher Tim Richardson have launched a bid to sue the Department of Education.
The group action centres on some Dandenong High School staff who knew about Richardson’s offences but did nothing to stop him and could leave the department with a potential multimillion-dollar payout bill.
Angela Sdrinis Legal is preparing the claim to seek common law damages for eight of Richardson’s victims and alleged victims.
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The firm is also going after Richardson’s assets, which include his Harkaway farm, which has been valued at more than $1 million, and a frozen bank account with a $200,000 plus balance.
The farm — which County Court Judge Paul Higham compared to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch — was the subject of a failed Office of Public Prosecutions forfeiture claim earlier this year.
Richardson was last month sentenced to a minimum of four years and nine months after he molested and indecently assaulted several boys at the farm between 1963 and 1973.
Angela Sdrinis, the firm’s director, was confident it would win for the victims.
“Of what I’ve seen so far these are claims of viable success,” Ms Sdrinis said.
“We want people to come forward and give us information and assist in our investigations.”
Ms Sdrinis said the Dandenong High staff who did know about Richardson’s offences but did nothing to stop him were a central part of the firm’s investigation.
The Leader last month revealed several victims who reported the paedophile teacher to the school had their complaints covered up.
“It’s often through media publicity that people come forward and perpetrators and institutions are held to account,” Ms Sdrinis said.
“In particular, we want to speak to anyone who made a complaint to the school.
“The victims believe they have been failed by the department and they want that acknowledged.”
Judge Higham accepted the school was made aware of Richardson’s abuse by at least one victim.
“Had something happened the offending will have stopped then and there,” he said.
The victim — who was raped by Richardson 80 to 100 times — said he approached the school office to make a complaint to the principal.
He told a staff member that Richardson had been “doing dirty things” but was ordered to go away and “never speak of this again”.
Ms Sdrinis said her investigators had already spoken to “people who were at the school at the time”.
She said former Dandenong High staff who knew Richardson had abused boys would also be scrutinised by her firm.
The Education Department apologised to Richardson’s victims last month but did not indicate when or if it would launch its own investigation.
Angela Sdrinis Legal will subpoena police and school records once the claim is lodged with the Supreme Court.
It will also seek Education Department records.
Ms Sdrinis said the claim was not as much about the money but more about finding closure for the victims.
“First there was the Royal Commission, then the criminal trial and the civil process is just another part of that journey to healing,” she said.