Bishop William Morris
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The school principal and two senior Catholic Education officials connected to the child sex abuse case in a Toowoomba school have been sacked, The Australian reports.
Meanwhile, parents of children suing the Church over the sex abuse allegations in southern Queensland said they will not sign any confidentiality agreements when the matter is settled, according to the ABC.
Three claims have been filed against the Toowoomba diocese over the Church's handling of allegations at a Toowoomba primary school, the ABC report said.
According to The Australian, Toowoomba Bishop William Morris yesterday admitted the school and Church officials had failed to protect children in their care, despite suspicions the teacher, who is now facing 46 charges, was sexually abusing young girls at the school.
"It remains my view that the staff involved made serious and unacceptable errors of judgment," he reportedly said.
"They failed to respond appropriately to the information received, from documenting the concerns to actioning and responding to them.
"They had an obligation to do everything necessary to ensure that the protection of children in their care remained paramount. They failed in that duty."
Prosecutors alleged during the principal's court hearing that he and two Catholic Education officials had "watered down" the allegations, before confronting the teacher, who denied the abuse.
Bishop Morris said the principal never told the officials that he had actually suspected sexual abuse, which he later admitted in court.
"Unfortunately, I cannot reverse what has happened. However, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure events such as these never happen again," Bishop Morris is quoted saying by the Toowoomba Chronicle.
A parent of one of the victims told The Australian that she was "ecstatic" with the sackings.
"These people should have protected my child at the first hint of abuse and they didn't," she said.
"Finally the Church has done something right."
FULL STATEMENT
Statement from Bishop William Morris
FULL STORY
School abuse: three sacked (The Australian)
Catholic educators sacked (Toowoomba Chronicle)
Three sacked over handling of abuse allegations (ABC)
Parents refuse to be silenced over church abuse action (ABC)
ARCHIVE
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