John Beckett – Scouts NSW – A Call for Witnesses
Koffels Solicitors & Barristers are looking for witnesses who could provide any information on John Beckett (“Beckett”) and his involvement in Scouts NSW.
Beckett was a long-standing and respected teacher at The Scots College, Bellevue Hill, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, from 1974 to 1999.
We understand that he was also a Scouts Master involved in the 2nd Randwick Scout Group, New South Wales, in the 1980s.
In 2015, Beckett pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault in the District Court of Adelaide in relation to events at a Scots College school trip to South Australia in 1989. Beckett was sentenced to a period of imprisonment of three years and eight months. However, the sentence was suspended, and Beckett instead was placed on a good behaviour bond for two years and ordered to pay $1,000.
We encourage anyone with any information about John Beckett’s involvement in Scouts or his perpetrating to contact us. We would like to hear from potential victims, fellow Scout Masters, other members of the Scouting Association, fellow teachers from Scots College or other students of Scots College. We are acting in matters involving both The Scots College and the 2nd Randwick Scout Group.
All information provided will be confidential unless we have your express permission otherwise.
If you or someone you know would like to talk to one of our historical sexual abuse specialists, for free and in confidence, about your legal options, please feel free to complete the form below with the best way and the best time to contact you, or you can call us on 02 9283 5599.
1 replies to John Beckett – Scouts NSW – A Call for Witnesses
hi
i was a scout member at 2nd Randwick in the years 1986-88.I would have been 14 years old.We would go on camping trips every 3 months.It was on these camps where john beckett would act out with inappropriate behaviour.we were made to swim or bathr naked which included him.He would fondel the younger scouts claiming he was looked for “bush lice’.He never found bush lice. He never did this to me though-He mainly targeted the young boys.He also made us sleep without underwear and would check everyone by touching the thighs. I remember one incident where a new scout was really homesick and john beckett took him to his tent to ‘ comfort’ him.I dont know what happened.I never liked Beckett he didn’t like me.He was a pretador.