For years, abuse was covered up at Dilworth and at times a child abuse ring operated, such as the one in the early 1980s involving the now-imprisoned Wayne Gillman Moonie and also allegedly involving the late Dilworth scout volunteer Richard Galloway and the late Ken Wilson.
Multiple child molesters from Dilworth have been jailed since the police revealed the existence of the Operation Beverly investigation in 2020.
“The Dilworth Trust Board of today will give the apology, taking ownership for the failings of the school’s leadership and governance of the past,” the Dilworth Response page added.
The page added: “The acknowledgement and apology is being offered in the hope that it will contribute to the healing of survivors, Old Boys and our wider community, and reconciliation within the Dilworth community.”
The page said the Dilworth Independent Inquiry Report was a strong starting point to inform the apology event.
It said further insights were gained through personal apology requests made by survivors through the independent Dilworth Redress Programme, research conducted by research company IPSOS with the Old Boy community, and a hui in November.
It said survivors, Dilworth Old Boys’ Association council members, Dilworth Trustees and senior leaders attended that meeting.
It said a survey sought feedback and input from the wider Dilworth community about what the apology should cover and when and how it should be delivered.
“The main themes arising from responses about the apology were that it should address the abuse that was allowed to happen, the harm it caused, the long-term impact on survivors’ lives, mental health and emotional wellbeing,” the page added.
“There were consistent comments about the need to address the betrayal of trust, the silencing of boys, their families and staff, and fostering a culture of silence.
“Respondents wanted an expression of accountability and remorse for what the school’s former leadership had allowed to happen.”
The Herald last year revealed Dilworth School set aside $43.7 million for redress to people believed to have suffered serious physical and sexual harm during their time as students.
In a video published yesterday and shared with the Dilworth community, Dilworth Trust Board chairman Aaron Snodgrass said the board was mindful of “appalling” abuse and the impact that abuse had.
He said the board had responded to 19 recommendations made by the Dilworth independent inquiry into historical abuse at the school.
“To date many applicants have received redress payments, as well as support for future counselling and other non-financial redress,” Snograss said.
“We cannot make up for the travesties of the past, or stop apologising for the historical abuse that occurred at our school.”
Dilworth’s reaction to the abuse and its treatment of survivors has sparked some mixed responses.
“It’s an absolute disaster as far as I’m concerned but all of the victims have a different attitude towards it. Some are quite happy,” Dilworth survivor and advocate Neil Harding told the Herald in October.
Harding said the Dilworth establishment had “institutional narcissism” and trouble acknowledging survivors.
Steve Brown, a former Dilworth Old Boys’ Association president, in October told the Herald some people had the perception a Dilworth redress payment was “a pay-off” to shut people up.
“While I acknowledge it is paying more than other schemes, it is also not transparent, so people do not really know what they’re getting redress for,” he said at the time.
