A few more things about #StKevins. In 2015, the school responded to the Royal Commission by putting out a statement that effectively washed its hands of sex abuse against old boys prior to 2008, directing victims to the Christian Brothers for "support, care & advice".
That statement was outrageous. Those old boys were sexually abused by Christian Brothers, but those Brothers were employed by St Kevin's. It made me wonder whether this was partly an attempt to sandbag the school against legal action.
By 2017, the school belatedly attempted to address historic sex abuse. An event was held at the school, the teachers and board members, two Year 12s attended, and an apology was read out. I'm not questioning whether the apology was sincere.
What I did wonder about, again, was the thinking behind the apology. For instance, only two old boys who were abused turned up. Why not more? And one of those former students was abused in the sports pavilion. So, where was the apology staged? In the sports pavilion. Seriously.
No wonder that old boy looked like he was standing on a frying pan. Also, why hold the event in the building that's at the bottom of the hill and more than 100 metres away from the main campus? It felt like a quarantine station.
Given only two old boys turned up, a cup of tea in the headmasters office would have been more appropriate -- and more meaningful. To be clear, I'm not blaming the current generation of school leaders for the sins of the past.
But St Kevin's, as an institution, has failed to come to terms with every aspect of its history -- and that's a reflection on the school's corporate culture.
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