Dozens of ex-staff at elite private school accused of sexual assault

More than 30 former students at an elite Melbourne private school have accused teachers of sexual and physical abuse.

A prestigious coeducational private school located in Melbourne’s east is facing allegations of historical abuse, with more than 30 former students coming forward claiming they were subjected to sexual and physical assault by staff members.

Ex-students of Carey Baptist Grammar have claimed to law firm Judy Courtin Legal that they were abused at the hands of 26 staff members who worked at the school between the 1960s and 1990s.

In the 32 complaints made to the law firm, the victims alleged that they were abused in various locations, including the schoolyard, during school-run camps, inside teachers’ cars, and while receiving “unsupervised tutoring”.

“Carey places the safety of students today, and those of our past, as our number one priority,” Carey Baptist Grammar principal Jonathan Walter said in a statement to news.com.au.

“When allegations of historical abuse were first raised, the school communicated to the entire Carey community, encouraging any affected individuals to contact with us directly so that we could offer our support.

“Our approach is one of utmost transparency and our priority is to provide care and compassion to those impacted.”

Mr Walter says he has personally met with past students and heard their stories and experiences and aims to take a “trauma-informed” and “survivor-focused” approach to such interactions.

He said the school reported all matters to police and other relevant reporting bodies.

News.com.au have reached out to Victoria Police.

Mr Walter said the school will continue to proactively assist and expedite any related legal processes in order to provide the necessary support to those impacted.

“I am here to listen and assist these past students in their journey,” he said. “It is through this process we can learn from the past and use this to inform our current policies and processes.

“Anyone wishing to speak with me is always welcome and will find support through their engagement with the school.”

Dozens of ex-staff at Carey Baptist Grammar in Kew, Melbourne, have been accused of sexual and physical assault. AAP Image/David Crosling

A total of 32 former students reached out to Judy Courtin Legal about the alleged abuse at the school, although not all have chosen to pursue legal action, The Herald Sun reports.

Principal lawyer Judy Courtin emphasised that institutions must be held responsible.

“What we know is that children who are sexually assaulted are silenced by the offender,” she told the publication.

“Offenders are clever at knowing how to silence children and mess with their minds. The average number of years for a child to report sexual abuse is 30 years, but some people take it to their grave.”

Ms Courtin urged victims, whether from Carey or other organisations, to step forward when they feel prepared, as it can provide “a lot of relief.”

More than 30 ex-students have come forward alleging abuse from the 1960s to the 1990s. Picture: AAP Image/David Crosling

The accusations came following an advertisement by Judy Courtin Legal, which encouraged anyone with information about “supposed institutional abuse” at the school to step forward earlier this year.

“We would like to speak to anyone who has information or recollections about male teachers alleged to have groomed and sexually abused student(s) at Carey Baptist Grammar School during the late 1980s,” the notice read.

Off the back of this, three survivors of alleged abuse came forward at the time with historical claims against three male teachers – a number that has climbed throughout the year.

Carey ranks among the most expensive schools in the state, with Year 12 tuition fees for 2025 costing $40,824.

Over 2,500 students are enrolled at the school, which has locations in Kew and Donvale.