Girl claims Williamstown High staff failed to act on sex abuse reports

A schoolgirl who claims she repeatedly told staff at Williamstown High that she was being sexually abused is suing the state for a lack of action by teachers.

A schoolgirl is suing the State of Victoria over claims her reports of sexual abuse at Williamstown High were overlooked.

A schoolgirl who claims she repeatedly raised the alarm to Williamstown High staff that she was being sexually abused is suing the state for her teachers’ lack of action.

The girl, aged 12 to 15, says she reported allegations of rape and assault by her Scout leader to the public school’s wellbeing co-ordinator, social worker and even the deputy principal between 2004 and 2006.

But she said the school failed to act, and the alleged abuse continued for two years.

The girl ended up moving schools in year 9, and years later reported her allegations of oral and vaginal rape to police upon her 18th birthday.

The Scout leader, who was underage at the time, is now a registered teacher who is employed by the Department of Education and serving in a leadership role at a high school.

He faced trial almost a decade later, in 2013, on charges of sexual penetration and indecent act with a child under 16, but was found not guilty.

The girl, now a woman aged in her early 30s, told the Herald Sun she believed if the school had acted and taken her disclosures “more seriously then, the whole thing could have been different”.

“Not being believed at the time and in front of a jury, it was just traumatising,” she said.

“I feel like I’ve always been demonised for it.”

A Supreme Court writ states that the year 7 student told her teacher she feared she’d become pregnant to her Scout leader. Picture: David Crosling

A Supreme Court writ states that the year 7 student told her teacher she feared she’d become pregnant to her Scout leader, who had “slammed her against the wall and hurt her”, in 2004.

The teacher, who was also the wellbeing co-ordinator, made the girl call her mother, who “did not believe (her)” then sent the student back to class.

Months later, court papers claim that during a counselling session, the student told the school’s social worker she “had been raped by the perpetrator and that he had put his hand over her mouth to stop her making any noise, and that he had told her to promise that she would not tell anyone”.

“Thereafter in 2004 and 2005, during regular fortnightly counselling sessions … (the girl) made further disclosures of further abuse by the perpetrator,” documents state.

Despite her reports, the schoolgirl said she “continued to suffer abuse” at the hands of her Scout leader over those two years.

In 2006, when she was in year 9, the girl says she was supposed to go on a sport excursion at a facility where the Scout leader was an instructor.

She claims she told her deputy principal she didn’t want to go on the excursion because the instructor “preys on girls” and “has done things to me that were not consensual”.

The court writ, filed by leading abuse firm Arnold Thomas & Becker, states that all three Williamstown High staff had the power to alert authorities, while the deputy principal and wellbeing co-ordinator had a statutory duty to report the allegations.

But the student says they did not investigate her claims, make any reports to authorities or ensure she was safe from danger.

According to documents, she’s since suffered major depressive disorder, PTSD, suicide attempts that included multiple hospital admissions and substance abuse disorder.

Now seeking a civil trial by jury, she’s suing the State of Victoria for injury, loss and damage.

The student said she hoped “they take some type of responsibility because it’s changed my life”.

“This happened in 2004 – it’s not like it was the 1950s,” she said.

“These things do happen and more people need to speak up.”

A department of education spokeswoman said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on this claim as it is before the courts.”