Bruce Shaw was the sole teacher and principal at Taminick Primary School in 1967 when he invited a 12-year-old boy to stay at his home and sleep in his bed – then sexually assaulted him.
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Fifty years later, the 72-year-old pleaded guilty to his crime of indecent assault and was given a three-month jail sentence, wholly suspended for 12 months.
Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court heard Shaw, 23 at the time, hosted two young family friends on his rural property for the weekend and insisted the 12-year-old sleep in his bed.
When the boy woke up, Shaw was naked from the waist down, touching him on the genitals.
Six years later, Shaw completed his training and became an ordained priest.
The victim reported the crime to Wangaratta police in October 2015, which magistrate Ian Watkins attributed to publicity around the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“It’s not all that unique for offending of this nature,” Mr Watkins said.
“He was a 23-year-old man who was dealing with a vulnerable young child … He was entrusted with their company over the weekend.”
Barrister Raoul Stransky said Shaw was working at a spiritual retreat in Stroud NSW, north of Newcastle, in 2016 but removed himself from active priest duties after he was charged.
“He has self-imposed himself a suspension from his role,” he said.
“My client isn’t in a position to get another job.
“He will be dismissed from the church … His reputation is going to be incredibly tarnished”
Mr Stransky described the indecent assault as “short-lived” and “spontaneous” and said his client was remorseful and regretful.
“We are dealing with a person who, at 23, was probably grappling with his own sexuality,” he said.
"This all came as a bit of a surprise because in the 1990s the complainant actually wrote to my client and the correspondence was all about forgiveness.”
Mr Watkins said although there was no victim impact statement, he had no doubt the man would have lasting memories of what occurred.
“The interaction you had with him in the 1990s where you admitted responsibility and sought forgiveness would have gone some way to healing the pain,” he said.
“It is a matter of extreme concern that the complainant was only 12 years old.”
In handing down the suspended sentence, Mr Watkins said he did not believe Shaw would reoffend.