Following the recent news of Sunshine Coast local Rachel Downie’s statement of claim documenting the alleged sexual abuse she suffered as a student at The Rockhampton Grammar School during the mid-1980s, a number of other students have come forward.
The students have allegations of having experienced or witnessed similar abuse at the elite private school during the same period.
In the claim filed in the Supreme Court of Queensland, 2020 Queensland Australian of the Year and TV show Survivor participant Rachel Downie alleged that she was subjected to exposure abuse and penetrative sexual abuse when she was 14 years old attending after-school music lessons. Her claim also recounts the school’s alleged egregious mishandling of the situation once she alerted them to the abuse.
Travis Schultz, Ms Downie’s lawyer and Managing Partner of Travis Schultz & Partners, said the recent media profile around the case had resulted in a number of other potential victims and witnesses contacting his firm.
“There have been a surprising number of former students of The Rockhampton Grammar School come forward with allegations, centring on the alleged conduct of the same music teacher between 1983 and 1985,” Mr Schultz said.
“While we are unable to disclose further details at this time, these allegations are of a very serious nature and underscore the gravity of the claims against Mr Wilson.
“Although his whereabouts were previously unknown, these recent conversations have also provided credible reasons to believe the alleged perpetrator of the abuse, Mr Wilson, is still alive and living at large in society. As a result, Ms Downie has now formally filed a complaint with the police.”
Ms Downie, an influential child-protection advocate, broke her silence publicly for the first time last week, and has encouraged others by saying, “It’s never too late to speak out”.
She encouraged others to choose not to suffer in silence and commended those who have come forward for sharing their own experiences or what they may have witnessed.
“If you’ve seen something, say something,” Ms Downie said.
In light of these new developments, Mr Schultz is urging anyone who may have witnessed or has knowledge of incidents of abuse involving the teacher to come forward.
“We would call for any person with information about the conduct of this music teacher at The Rockhampton Grammar School in 1984 and 1985, or who may have subsequently taken music lessons with Mr Wilson around the Darling Downs area, to come forward and contact either Travis Schultz & Partners on (07) 5406 7405, or alternatively, the Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch on 131 444,” Mr Schultz said.
