Darwin’s elite Essington School responds to claims little boy sexually abused by other students

Essington School principal Karen Rohrs has written to parents addressing allegations a young boy was sexually abused at the school by other students.

A couple has claimed their son was bullied by a group of Essington students who went on to commit sickening sex acts on him against his will.

Essington School principal Karen Rohrs has moved to reassure parents after the NT News revealed a former student had allegedly been repeatedly sexually abused by other students.

Two parents of a five-year-old former student are suing the school in the Supreme Court claiming they suffered “nervous shock” from their son’s abuse which a senior staff member then tried to cover up “to protect the school”.

On Wednesday, Ms Rohrs wrote to parents at the school assuring them Essington was “well aware of mandatory reporting obligations”.

“The school filed a mandatory report as required and took professional advice from government bodies it was reported to,” she said.

Ms Rohrs told parents while she could not “comment on specifics to the case given legal proceedings” the school “deeply value(s) your continued support”.

“Our unwavering dedication to adhering to due processes, our profound understanding of mandatory reporting, our commitment to delivering high-quality education, and our steadfast determination to preserve the trust of our community remain resolute,” she said.

Parents sue elite Darwin school, claim students sexually abused young son

Two parents are suing Darwin’s elite Essington School for “nervous shock” after claiming their five-year-old son was physically and sexually abused by other students at the school.

After the couple took the allegations to police, they claim a senior staff member told them he “was aware of sexualised incidents at the school” but “did not disclose the behaviour as he wanted to protect the school”.

The couple, who this masthead has chosen not to name, filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court in August alleging their son was also threatened with “being stabbed or killed” if he reported the vile abuse.

While attending the school in the late 2010s, the couple say their son was bullied by a group of other kindergarten/transition aged students, who went on to commit sickening sex acts on him against his will.

“(The boy) was placed in a headlock with an arm around his mouth by one child as another child played with and touched his penis,” the documents, obtained by this publication read, among other allegations.

As a result, the parents claim they observed changes in their son’s demeanour, including frequent crying and soiling himself instead of using the school toilets where they say the abuse occurred.

The Essington School Darwin. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“During the period the plaintiffs were told by other parents of children attending the school that their children had been sexually abused by other children at the school,” the documents read.

“The plaintiffs repeatedly spoke to (staff members) about (his) behaviour and their concern that (he) had been sexually abused by other students.

“The plaintiffs were told by (a senior staff member) that he was aware of sexualised incidents at the school involving students at the school, but he did not disclose the behaviour as he wanted to protect the school.”

The couple say the school “knew or ought to have known” about the abuse after they repeatedly raised concerns with their son’s classroom teacher and other senior staff.

“The first plaintiff met with (the boy’s) classroom teacher and told her that she was concerned that (he) was being followed into the toilets by (another boy),” the documents read.

“Later that day, the plaintiffs met with (the senior staff member) to report that (the boy) had been followed into the toilet.”

The couple say the school did not take reasonable steps to prevent the abuse by suspending, quarantining, supervising or disciplining the students involved.

The boy’s mother is claiming damages for “post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and shock” while his father is claiming compensation for “whole person impairment”.

The Essington School has been contacted for comment and is yet to file a defence with the court.

According to the Good Schools Guide, the Essington School charges parents $8990 per year for kindergarten students and $12,140 per year for transition students.

The case is due to return to court later this month.