A probe into a private religious school accused of sexual, physical, psychological, spiritual and financial abuse has recommended it be barred from enrolling new students.
Former students and teachers of western Sydney’s Redeemer Baptist school told a NSW parliamentary inquiry about a string of disturbing allegations.
They included students being made to share beds with teachers and its principal once wandering naked through a common area.
In a report tabled in state parliament on Tuesday, a committee found the school – run by the Redeemer Baptist Church – breached basic child safeguarding standards.
Sexual assault allegations were not handled appropriately and the school put children at significant risk of harm, the committee found.
It also found staff at the school lacked essential workplace rights and failed to satisfy basic standards of good governance.
The committee recommended the school be prevented from enrolling new students while it was under investigation by the NSW education standards authority.
It also recommended the allegations raised in the inquiry be investigated by NSW police and the office of the children’s guardian.
Committee chair and Greens MP Abigail Boyd noted the school was subjected to parliamentary scrutiny in ۲۰۰۶, but no procedures had been put in place to monitor what was clearly a “high-risk situation”.
She said it was thanks to the bravery of those who had spoken out that the committee had enough evidence to make its strong findings and recommendations.
The school received about $۶ million a year in government funding, Boyd said, and had enough cash to launch legal challenges against those who raised their voices against the religious group.
“They also have deep political ties with both state and federal politicians,” she told parliament.
People who had escaped the school appeared to be absolutely terrified of its leaders, Boyd said.
“When you know that leaving means leaving with no financial assets, and when you have finally managed to escape, it’s no wonder that you would be terrified of your abuser,” she said in parliament.
The committee lashed a lack of regulatory oversight, including from the education authority, suggesting a number of alarming matters needed proper investigation.
They included allegations of persistent Centrelink fraud and dodgy tax practices.
“It is, at the very least, troubling that an asset-rich, seemingly prosperous school operates by withholding wages from its workforce, who claim benefits, while the school receives millions of dollars in public funding,” the report said.
A Redeemer Baptist School spokesperson previously said the school had fully co-operated with the relevant regulators.
“Redeemer Baptist School takes its child safety obligations extremely seriously and has an unblemished record of compliance with state and federal regulators for ۴۵ years,” they said.
The school did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the report’s release.
