The Kings School headmaster has written of his deep regrets regarding the Knox sexual abuse inquest.
The headmaster of elite boys’ school Kings has written a heartfelt letter to the parents of his students, telling them of his regrets during his time as a teacher at the prestigious boys school Knox Grammar School, in Sydney’s north.
In the letter, headmaster Tim Hawkes also apologised for his comments at the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.
Mr Hawkes appeared as a witness at the royal commission, and later told the media he had no regrets about his actions 30 years ago when he failed to report the sexual abuse of a young boarder.
Related content: Knox Grammar – a legacy of shame, angst and depression.
He has since written to parents apologising for his insensitivity.
Fairfax Media reports Dr Hawkes said he has “thousands” of regrets, and told of wanting to go back and change these moments.
Fairfax Media obtained a copy of the letter, which reads:
“There are moments in your life that you wish you could go back and change.
“There are moments when you cannot believe your stupidity. There are moments when you want to run away.
“I was met with such a moment last week when being pounced on by the media when leaving the Royal Commission looking into the Knox case. How on earth can you disentangle the appalling impression given that, ‘I had no regrets’ in relation to a Knox matter some 27 years ago. ”Regrets! I have thousands.
“My heart breaks for the boys whose trust in some Knox staff was betrayed. I, along with much of Australia, have been appalled at the revelations coming out of the Royal Commission. Regrets? None of it should ever have happened. I can make no excuses for my comment. I was tired after three hours in the witness box. I was alarmed – even frightened by being ambushed by the media scrum, and greatly angered by the hostility of their questions.
“I should have said absolutely nothing. What I tried to say was that I had no sense of not having done the right thing by reporting the matter to the headmaster at the time. However – it did not come out that way, and people, quite rightly, were appalled at the apparent heartlessness of my comment. ”The media have offered to re-interview me. That is kind, but it will come across as a revisionist attempt by me to make me look good – and that thought appalls me.
“Regrets? Absolutely! Regrets for an insensitive remark – yes – but even more so, for the things that happened at Knox. There needs to be justice given, care provided and lessons learnt – not least, by me.”
The hearings are looking at the way Knox Grammar handled complaints of inappropriate conduct by teachers over more than 30 years, between 1970 and 2003.
Related Content: Knox Grammar: A legacy of shame, angst and depression.
Last week, the inquiry was told five Knox teachers had been convicted of child sex offences, and there was evidence three other teachers were involved in inappropriate conduct, ABC News reports.
The royal commission will complete its work in December 2017 and provide recommendations to government.
If you or another adult you know was sexually abused as a child call ASCA on 1300 657 380.
Related content: Lisa Wilkinson is “appalled” that ribbons to honour Knox assault victims were removed.
Top Comments
Dear Claire,
Can this Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse become any more horrifying? As the days pass and more evidence of the complete ineptitude and moral neglect of the very people who were charged with the care of our most precious and valuable commodity.....our children....comes to light, I am revolted beyond belief and chilled to the bone.
It beggars belief how these educated men chose to put THEIR well paid jobs and the reputation of THEIR prestigious school, above the horrendous treatment of these innocent students. As more shocking revelations bubble up from the den of ‘intentionally-covered-up-iniquity’ my heart breaks. What were they thinking?
What infuriates me even more are the actions of one of the Knox boarding masters at the time, a Dr Hawkes, current Headmaster of the Kings school & author of the book '10 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son' of which I own and have disposed of in disgust, as I was unable to find the receipt to request a refund.
At the Commission last week Dr Hawkes said he did not think he should call the police, when someone broke into the very boarding house under his control and sexually assaulted a child in his care, as he thought that was the Prinicpals job? He also claimed ‘he never had any in-service training in relation to reporting sexual assault nor did he know his obligations'??
'OBLIGATIONS'?? Please????
As a law abiding, concerned, caring adult in that situation, it would indicate to me, a need to deviate from hiding behind 'unknown' protocols and call the police and the boy's parents immediately??? Dr Hawkes never saw police at the school after the event? So are we to assume he never made any further inquires about the incident? Dr Hawkes then informs the Commission he 'grew to suspect a resident staff member to be the perpetrator'??? However the alleged perpetrator continued to be employed at Knox? Hello??? what are we dealing with here?
This week at the Commission; after severe criticism of his ‘performance’ last week, Dr Hawkes now states he was horrified at Knox Grammars poor systemic handling of affairs?? Hello?? Dr Hawkes was part of the systemic problem?? He remained silent and didn’t take a ‘GRIP’ on the situation as he has previously preached.....
In his aforementioned book he writes and I quote;
"There is a time when silence does not enrich or edify. Silence can be a terrible thing. Silence is not always golden; it can be yellow, the yellow of cowardice that stops us from speaking when we should. When we see a bully at work causing physical, social or emotional harm and we do not speak, we are cowards; when we hear a cry for help and remain deaf within a silent cone of indifference, we are heartless" Unquote!
So WHY was Dr Hawkes so SILENT???? One would have to ask was a promotion imminent? Was his remuneration too good? Who knows why he remained silent, only he can answer that??
Another quote from the aforementioned book regarding examining behaviour. Dr Hawkes uses the acronym 'GRIP'. Again I quote;
"Was his behaviour:
GOOD for the situation?
Was it RIGHT for the situation?
Did the behaviour IMPROVE the situation?
Was it PROPER for the situation?
If not, then he might profit from being told to adjust his GRIP" Unquote!
Did Dr Hawkes 'behaviour' fulfill his own preaching? Categorically NO! Lives were destroyed because of the 'behaviour' path Dr Hawkes AND Dr Paterson chose. A silent, cowardly keep-my-job-at-all-costs kinda-path. The results of their 'behaviour' have been tragic beyond belief for the victims!
I truly hope this kind of deceitful, enabling and depraved practice is stamped out forever more. I hope the Headmaster and the Boarding Master of the time, whose moral compasses were spinning out of control, are brought to justice, along with the depraved teachers and I hope the victims are cared for and feel vindicated. As a mother of a current NSW boarding student I can only hope and pray.
Concerned Parent
(I have provided my details however I would prefer to remain anonymous as my family are still in the NSW education system)
"POUNCED" on by the media? This guy has courted the media for years! He's a selfstyled education and leadership guru!! Anyone who saw him on QandA would know he's a fool.
Has anyone asked him to explain the highly inappropriate, passionate talks he gives his students on the pleasures of the flesh?
It's time to clean these weirdos and incompetents out.