A Sydney private school has confirmed allegations of “abhorrent” sexual abuse have been levelled at two of its students, after they and another boy allegedly raped a girl at a home in Sydney’s south west, just one week after a trio from another elite private school were accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old.
The three boys – all aged 17 – allegedly carried out a slew of sexual offences against a 17-year-old girl in an hours-long attack at a home in the Macarthur region on Saturday night. Two of the boys are students at Catholic private school, St Gregory’s College.
Police will allege that in the hours before the assault, the boys went to a football game and then to a pub, despite not being 18.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the alleged victim began to feel unwell at the pub and went back to one of the boy’s houses, where he began the alleged assault. It is alleged he raped the 17-year-old girl before texting a friend “to join in”. It is further alleged that after both boys assaulted her, the alleged main perpetrator invited a third boy to come have “sex with her without her consent” in an attack that continued for “hours”.
Police were alerted to the alleged assault on Sunday.
Officers raided the boys’ homes on Wednesday morning – with help from the riot squad – seizing electronic devices and other items for further examination.
The juveniles were arrested, taken to Camden police station, and charged with numerous serious offences.
St Gregory’s College principal Matthew Brennan confirmed two of the accused were students at the school, describing the allegations as “abhorrent”.
“We express our deep concern for the young woman police have said was the victim of the alleged sexual assault, and her family and loved ones,” he said.
“Sexual violence has no place in our community, and the College stands with all victims of sexual violence. It is abhorrent what is alleged by Police and is the antithesis of what we stand for and the values that we embrace.”
He said the school “has and will continue to co-operate fully with the police”.
The main alleged perpetrator faces 11 charges, including six counts of aggravated sexual assault in company of others, three of sexual intercourse without consent and one count each of sexually touching another person without consent and carrying out a sexual act with another person without consent.
Another boy was charged with eight offences: six counts of aggravated sexual assault in company of others, one count of common assault and one of sexual intercourse without consent.
The third boy was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault in company of others.
All three teens were refused bail to appear before a children’s court later on Thursday.
The main alleged offender was refused bail.
Scots college scandal
The alleged group sex attack occurred less than a week after three Scots College students were charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in an eastern suburbs alleyway. The alleged attacks are not linked.
The Scots college trio – two 14-year-olds and one aged 13 – allegedly sexually assaulted the young girl in a Bondi Junction laneway on July 22. They were arrested and charged last Thursday.
Scots College, one of Sydney’s oldest boarding schools, charges annual tuition fees of more than $50,000.
The 13-year-old and one of the 14-year-olds were charged with aggravated sexual assault in company of others and two counts of aggravated sexual touching of another person. The other 14-year-old was charged with aggravated sexual assault and a single count of aggravated sexual touching of another person.
The three were granted conditional police bail to appear before a children’s court.
The alleged alleyway attack sparked fierce debate among Scots students, parents and alumni. Several parents were outraged by how the school responded to the allegations, with some calling for the accused students to be expelled.
One parent told The Daily Telegraph her son, who is in the same year as the alleged perpetrators, was told “absolutely zero” about the case.
“The only thing was to warn them not to say anything to the media,” she said.
Scots College principal Ian Lambert has defended the school’s handling of the allegations, denying any claims the accused students were being shielded because their families were donors.
On Monday, billionaire Arthur Tzaneros resigned as managing director and chief executive of ACFS Port Logistics after comments he made in a 100-person Scots alumni group chat, including that the alleged victim was a “willing participant” and the allegations were “fake news”, were published.
