Sex Act Horror in South Australian School Toilets
A primary school student was made to undress and was sexually threatened by two men during a
class sleepover - but no attempt was made to warn the public even though the offenders are still at large.
The incident can only be revealed today because teachers raised the alarm about school safety.
One revealed the two men were waiting in the toilets when the girl got up during the sleepover
and took photos of her during her ordeal.
South Australia's Acting Education Minister Jay Weatherill has ordered a review of school
supervision guidelines after being alerted by The Advertiser yesterday.
No public alert had been issued by the Education Department or SA Police following the
incident at a primary school earlier this year. The offenders remain at large.
Mr Weatherill last night said the incident was "disturbing".
"The Education Department's extensive guidelines for camps, excursions and sleepovers were
updated only last year and set out stringent requirements for safety
and supervision of students," he said, in an emailed statement.
"In light of this recent incident, however, our School Care Centre
(an Education Department-SA Police agency) will revisit these to ensure they are
adequate and understood by all principals."
The school and police yesterday confirmed an incident had occurred during a class sleepover.
Police said two men waiting in a toilet had threatened a girl into performing an
act of indecency on a day earlier this year.
A teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, yesterday said the incident raised the
question of "how safe are our schools?"
"During the night-time sleepover, a girl went to go to the toilets and there were
two men waiting for her in the toilets and they made her undress and took photos of her," the teacher said.
"When you hear things like this, about what's going on in public schools, you do think,
how safe are they really?"
Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni said: "There should have been a public
warning issued and a recommendation to all schools about how to prevent such incidents."
The school's principal said parents of the girl's classmates were contacted by phone
on the night of the incident.
Adelaide Advertiser (4-9-2008)
Michael Owen
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More Arrests Over School 'Pedophile Ring'
A CATHOLIC brother and a former teacher have been arrested over an alleged pedophile ring at a Catholic boys school
in Bathurst in central west New South Wales, police say.
The 66-year-old brother, from Marsfield in Sydney's north, and a 63-year-old teacher living in Brisbane were arrested
this morning, police said.
Both were arrested over offences that police allege took place at St Stanislaus' College from the late 1970s to the
early 1980s. No charges have yet been laid.
Police suspect dozens of boys may have been abused during alleged hypnotic "prayer" sessions at the boarding school.
The names of at least three former staffers of the college were listed on a police search warrant when detectives
arrived at the school in July to search its archives.
Former priest Brian Spillane, 65, from Narwee in Sydney's south-west, was charged in May with 33 offences and last
night had a further 60 charges laid against him after eight more alleged victims came forward.
As a result of additional information, police said their investigation had been expanded to two other secondary
schools in Bathurst.
Currently, 615 boys attend St Stanislaus', of which 188 are borders.
St Stanislaus' principal John Edwards said last week he first became aware of the allegations
"several years ago" and referred the claims to police.
He said the allegations included claims of late-night prayer and chanting sessions
in which boys were sexually abused.
AAP (3-9-2008)
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