Two former teachers have been fined just $1,200 each for failing to report the suspected rape of a student by his classmates at Perth’s Trinity College.
Ian Francis Hailes and Anthony Paul Webb were fined and handed suspended sentences in Perth Magistrates Court yesterday.
They are believed to be the first people convicted for failing to report suspected child sexual abuse under mandatory reporting laws in Western Australia.
Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk has welcomed the prosecution under Western Australia’s mandatory reporting legislation to protect children from sexual abuse.
“The successful prosecution of these two former teachers under mandatory reporting legislation sends a clear message about the expectation that child safety is always paramount,” said Ms McGurk.
“The State Government is committed to creating a safer Western Australia for children and young people, and will not ignore instances of child sexual abuse.
“The community has a right to expect that our children are safe, especially within the institutions that we all trust to protect them.”
The two men were charged with failing in their mandatory duty to report an incident of sexual abuse to authorities under State legislation introduced in 2009.
The men were found to have been aware of the serious nature of the incident, which took place on a school rugby trip to Japan, but failed to report the abuse as required under the legislation.
The court heard that the victim, who alleges he was held down and anally assaulted with a carrot, was tormented by his alleged rapists and teammates on social media following the incident.
Days after the alleged attack, a mocked-up cover of a music magazine featuring a band called ‘The Carrots’ with a new single called ‘Uranus’ was posted online.
Legal costs were also awarded to the Department of Communities, who brought the prosecution, in the sum of $5,500 each.
