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For a few years now, the principal of Melbourne’s Xavier College, William Doherty, has wanted to do something meaningful beyond apologising to students whose lives have been irreparably damaged by sexual abuse perpetrated at the school in the past.
But with the involvement of lawyers, insurers and religious orders desperate to minimise damage and bad publicity, Xavier had, at times, been “stuck in a culture of fear”, Mr Doherty said. This had stopped it connecting with and supporting former students who have suffered.
Richard Jabara (left), Old Xaverian and abuse survivor, with Clare Leaney (right), CEO of the In Good Faith Foundation and Xavier principal William Doherty at the Kew school.
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