Former Blackfriars Priory College student claims in court papers he was sexually assaulted by ex-principal Father Martin Wallace

A court has heard claims a top Adelaide private school covered up “100 cases” of student sexual abuse by a Catholic priest - but the school has denied it.

Former Blackfriars Primary School principal and Catholic priest Father Martin Wallace in October 2000, giving the thumbs up to a photograph of Pope John Paul II. Picture: Michael Milnes

A top private school has compiled “almost 100 documents” about the sexual abuse “of multiple students” by its Catholic priest former principal during a “22-year cover-up”, according to allegations contained in court documents.

On Wednesday, a former Blackfriars Priory School student asked the District Court to order the college to open its files ahead of potential lawsuits against both it and Father Martin Wallace.

In court documents, the man asserts Father Wallace abused him in 2002. It was never reported to the school or SA Police.

He further asserts that, this year, he was approached by a NSW private investigator for an interview, Diocese staff to broker a financial settlement, and by current principal David Ruggerio.

Blackfriars says it will co-operate but denies there are “100 cases” as stated in the “misleading” action.

In a statement today, Mr Ruggerio said that last year the school commissioned an independent investigation into the welfare of former students which would be completed by September and that any and all findings would be provided to relevant authorities for further investigation.

The man asserts in the court documents that Mr Ruggerio “said he wants to help out in any way possible to bring everything into the open”.

“I verily believed to be true, that the school was aware of more than 100 reported instances of abuse committed against Blackfriars students by Father Wallace,” he asserts in the documents.

“The school is in possession of almost 100 documents pertaining to the sexual abuse of multiple students at Blackfriars who were abused by Father Wallace.

In court papers, the man asserts Father Wallace sexually abused him in 2002. Picture: Michael Milnes

Blackfriars Priory School was established in 1953.

“I am concerned (the church and school) will continue to be evasive in providing evidence of the assault committed by Father Wallace due to their previous history of not reporting instances of abuse and assault and the 22-year cover-up of multiple instances of reported abuse committed by Father Wallace.

“I was advised … that Blackfriars have been aware of the abuse committed by Father Wallace for over 22 years and have only just taken any steps in reporting this matter to police.”

In court on Wednesday, Andrew Hilditch, for Blackfriars, said his client did not oppose any order that it hand over its files.

However, he said the school may yet claim legal professional privilege over some documents.

“A lot of things are being said which we obviously disagree with,” he said.

“The reference to 100 cases is simply misleading.

“But we have indicated at all times that we would be cooperative, there was no need for this application.”

The man, who cannot be named, has filed an application seeking “all documents pertaining to the school’s knowledge of historical abuse committed by Father Wallance”.

Among the unproven allegations contained in court documents, he asserts he first met Father Wallace in 2000, at which time his mother advised he was “vulnerable” having “suffered sexual abuse whilst a child”.

Two years later, he asserts, Father Wallace sexually abused him in changerooms during a “religious retreat” in regional SA.

He asserts he was “in shock” and “froze” until another teacher “walked into the changerooms and saw what was happening”.

“(The other teacher) screamed and said words to the effect of ‘get the f--k out of here’ … I do not know who he directed those words at, however I quickly sprinted out of the changerooms,” he asserts.

“I was never spoken to by anyone about the assault despite this being witnessed … the school never interviewed me or asked what happened … I was never contacted by police after the assault.”

The man asserts the alleged abuse by Father Wallace was never reported to SA Police. Picture: Michael Milnes

The man asserts that, following the incident, Father Wallace “would always come up to me in the changerooms to ask how I was going”, which he found “most concerning”.

He further asserts that, after leaving Blackfriars, he heard no more from the school or the church until receiving a letter from a Sydney-based private investigator in March 2023.

He asserts that, upon speaking to the investigator, “it was obvious that she already knew” about the abuse and it “was the nexus” for the correspondence.

The man asserts he subsequently attended formal interviews with the investigator and the Diocese’s Professional Standards officer.

The officer, he asserts, advised he could sue, seek redress through the national scheme or “use their internal claim resolution service” which “the Diocese preferred”.

“She also advised me that the principal of Blackfriars found notes pertaining to the assault when he was looking into Father Wallace, in addition to many other instances of assaults committed by Father Wallace against students of the school which were previously unreported,” he asserts.

He asserts that, on June 16, Mr Ruggerio met him at the Pippo restaurant, North Adelaide, and “said he wants to help out in any way possible to bring everything out into the open”.

“Mr Ruggerio advised me, and I verily believed to be true, that he found the report of the abuse committed by Father Wallace when he was investigating other complaints,” he asserts.

“After finding the reports, Mr Ruggerio contacted (the private investigator) in order to commence an investigation of all the instances of abuse committed by Father Wallace while he was employed at Blackfriars.

The man asserts, in his court papers, he is seeking the school records as a forerunner to considering legal action against Blackfriars.

The man asserts Mr Ruggerio told him records of the alleged abuse had been provided to the private investigators and police, and stored “on a hard drive, in a safe with a thumbprint scanner”.

He further asserts that, following the meeting with Mr Ruggerio, he instructed counsel to commence a lawsuit.

In his application, the man asks the court to order the release of Father Wallace’s “complete employment file and all records of abuse committed by him”.

Those papers are needed, he asserts, to ascertain vicarious liability, exemplary damages and “whether the assault committed against me and other students was foreseeable and preventable”.

In court on Wednesday, Andrew Carpenter, for the man, said his client had no faith the church would open its files without a court order.

“My client was abused by Father Wallace in front of another teacher years ago and only contacted about it in March of this year,” he said.

“Based on what the principal (Mr Ruggerio) stated, if the school had known about Father Wallace abusing children, it could have been stopped if it had happened before my client.

“We want all of these 100 reports … the fact here is that the school commenced investigations of Father Wallace abusing children and did nothing about it.”

Mr Hilditch said he took “strenuous objection” to the assertion the school would not handover the files willingly.

The court granted the man’s application, ordering “disclosure of any and all documents relating to investigations undertaken pertaining to abuse or alleged abuse committed by Father Wallace against any child, whether a student of the school or not” within 14 days.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Ruggerio said the school was aware of the allegations.

“We are deeply saddened by the allegations and have offered support to the former student and made him aware of the official reporting and support options available,” he said.

“The school also received a request from the past student’s lawyer for files relating to the former staff member. This request has been attended to and we are co-operating fully.”

Mr Ruggerio said that last year the school commissioned an independent investigation into the welfare of former students which would be completed by September.

“Any findings relating to alleged serious misconduct by former staff members will be provided to relevant authorities for further investigation,” Mr Ruggerio said.

“We urge anyone who may have been impacted by abuse to report their experience to SA Police, the National Redress Scheme, or the South Australia and Northern Territory Professional Standards Office.

“The school will not be making any further comment at this stage.”

The matter returns to court next month.

Originally published as Former Blackfriars Priory College student claims in court papers he was sexually assaulted by ex-principal Father Martin Wallace